Title: Pirates!
Description: modern day pirates
Description: modern day pirates
saver111 - July 22, 2005 08:48 AM (GMT)
Resurgence of piracy highlights terror risk
Southeast Asia struggles to protect vulnerable waterway
By Kari Huus
Reporter
MSNBC
Updated: 7:44 p.m. ET July 21, 2005
When 35 pirates carrying machine guns and rocket launchers boarded a tanker laden with methane in the Malacca Strait in March, it sent a shudder through the crew, and a ripple of fear from Tokyo to Washington.
The incident marked a resurgence in attacks along one of the world’s most vulnerable and valuable shipping lanes, where things had been relatively quiet following last year's tsunami. It also served as a reminder of the risks to world trade, and of the potential for terrorism in the region.
The attack on the tanker turned out to be routine highway robbery in the strait, whose waters are shared by Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Political obstacles to security
Since early last year, under pressure from the United States and other trading powers, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia have been struggling to devise a plan for better security in the narrow bottleneck.
Indeed, Adm. Thomas Fargo, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, prompted a flurry of regional security efforts when he told Congress in March 2004 that the military was looking at "putting Special Operations forces on high-speed vessels" in the strait "to conduct interdiction."
Indonesia and Malaysia, which firmly rejected the idea of a U.S. military presence in their waters, have started working, along with Singapore, on building a system of joint patrol, a move lauded by security experts.
In the meantime, however, successful attacks continue mainly because the pirates flee international waters a short distance into the Indonesian archipelago, where Malaysian and Singaporean vessels cannot pursue them.
"If those three countries agree on hot pursuit into each others territorial waters, that would be big progress in terms of cooperation," said Yoichiro Sato, associate professor at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii.
But the poor state of Indonesia's military remains a major obstacle to security. By some estimates, only about one-third of its vessels are even seaworthy, says Jeorg Eschenfelder, Southeast Asia editor for the World Security Network. "They have equipment problems, training problems and corruption" to complicate their fight against piracy.
Many of the pirates "are better equipped and trained than the coast guard or navies in the region," he said.
Wealthy Singapore, with its largely Chinese and non-Muslim population, is the most zealous enforcer in the region, because port and maritime services are the lifeblood of the tiny city-state's economy. It also sees the United States as a key ally in a largely Muslim region.
"Singapore is scared of its bigger neighbors, so it is trying to enhance ties with the United States," Sato said. "It actually welcomes a U.S. military presence in the region; for the same reason it invites the Japanese to be in the region with their coast guard or Self Defense Forces.
Outside nations keep eye on the problem
There's no shortage of nations with an interest in Malacca's security, but their involvement remains marginal.
Japan would like to help police the strait, and it's under pressure from shipowners to help after pirates abducted threw crew members of a Japanese-owned tugboat in March. In its most recent move, in June, Tokyo sent a coast guard patrol vessel to the region.
However, lingering sensitivities over Tokyo's World War II atrocities in Southeast Asia dictate that Japan cannot send military vessels or run patrols, and that its role will remain largely financial and technical. Even the coast guard vessel met with some resistance, and instead is being billed as a training vessel. Under Japan's own postwar constitution, it cannot export arms.
For now, Washington has taken a softer stand on the Malacca Straits, taking the lead of the newly appointed chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. William Fallon, who has said Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore can do a "very adequate" job of safeguarding security.
Support from the United States is focused on providing technology, reconnaissance data and running joint exercises to bolster local patrols.
Sato said risks in the straits may also prompt the United States to lift restrictions on military sales to Indonesia that were imposed in the 1990s because of alleged human rights abuses by its military.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld held security meetings in Southeast Asia in June, urging coastal nations to work together on Malacca security, a reminder that the United States is standing by to protect its interests.
But in the nightmare scenario, terrorists using the methods of modern-day pirates seize a gas tanker and use it as floating bomb, which experts say could explode with the force of a small nuclear weapon. The damage from such an attack could go well beyond the immediate bloodshed and environmental damage, hobbling U.S. trade with Asia and cutting off essential energy supplies shipped through the narrow channel to China, South Korea and Japan.
"The threat is real and urgent," Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told a regional security conference in June. "We know that terrorists have been studying maritime targets across the region."
Each year, 60,000 ships ply the Malacca Strait, carrying about half of the world's oil and one-third of its trade. That includes nearly all of U.S. imports from China and 80 percent of the oil used by economic powers Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
In the 600-mile long passageway, just 20 nautical miles across at its narrowest, slow-moving cargo ships are easy to spot and chase down. Many of the attacks succeed because pirates can quickly retreat into national waters where pursuers cannot follow, and hide among the myriad islands in the region. As shipping through the strait increases rapidly, security only gets harder to provide.
While the stakes are high for the United States and its trading partners, there are limits to American security efforts since the piracy is not in U.S. waters.
Many attacks not reported
In 2004, there were 37 attacks in the Malacca Straits reported to the Piracy Reporting Center of the Malaysia-based International Maritime Bureau, making it one of the most dangerous stretches of water on earth, according to the organization.
The number dropped sharply after the tsunami hit the region on Dec. 26, presumably because of the large presence of foreign military vessels helping with aid. But in mid-March, after their departure, the maritime bureau said violent ship attacks were on the rise again.
And reported attacks, experts agree, are only a sampling of reality, since shipping companies are reluctant to report the incidents, which can cause costly delays or push up insurance rates.
"There are more and more attacks that go unreported," said Gal Luft, director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security. "People in this industry ... admit that for them economically it doesn’t make sense."
"They don’t care about the geopolitical implications or the social cost of all this," Luft said.
As it is, the Lloyd’s and London insurance market Joint War Committee, an advisory body to insurers, reclassified the Malacca Strait as a war risk area this month — a signal to the insurance industry that regional conflict and the rising level of violence merit higher premiums for ships passing through the region.
The attacks vary. Some pirates target the contents of ship safes; others kidnap crew members for ransom, while others target high-value cargo.
One of the most recent reported incidents, technically in the Singapore Strait at the far southern end of the passage, took place on July 13, according to the International Maritime Bureau: "Six pirates armed with long knives and wearing black facemasks boarded a tanker under way via a speedboat. They took hostage two duty crewmembers and tied them up."
After destroying the ship's communication equipment, the bureau said, they took three more crew members and the captain hostage, and stole the ship's cash and other property.
More firepower
The attacks are increasingly sophisticated, employing military-style weapons and strategies.
"Because of the kinds of weapons they're carrying, they're use of flack jackets, a high degree of competency and tactical prowess ... it seems apparent that they’ve had some relatively vigorous training," says Rupert Herbert-Burns, director of intelligence and research for the Washington, D.C.-based arm of Lloyds Marine Intelligence group in London.
"We’re talking about criminals here … with more sophistication, scales of ammunition, adequate use of command and control, the use of multiple boats and the ability to seize precisely the right ship," he said.
So far, the link between these criminals and terrorism remains largely a matter of speculation and concern. Skeptics say that the United States and its allies exaggerate the threat as a way to justify asserting themselves in the region.
But there is some evidence that is cause for concern. The separatist group known by the acronym GAM, a group fighting to create an independent Islamic state in Indonesia's Aceh province, uses piracy to raise money for its long-running battle.
Of more concern is the Islamist extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah, which was behind the October 2002 nightclub bombing in Bali that killed more than 200 on the popular Indonesian resort island. Jemaah Islamiyah is known to operate throughout Southeast Asia, and has had at least some contact with al-Qaida.
Last August, Indonesia's intelligence chief, A.M. Hendropriyono, wrote in an opinion piece in the Jakarta Post that "senior Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists now in detention have admitted that attacks on Malacca shipping traffic have been contemplated in the recent past." He didn't provide any additional detail in the article, which argued for more cooperation in the region and help from the United States.
An attack in 2004, the details of which remain in dispute, also prompted intense focus on the potential for terrorism in Malacca. As it was reported, hijackers with assault rifles took over a chemical tanker, disabled the ship's radio, took the helm and apparently experimented with steering the vessel at various speeds, an incident that prompted comparisons with the Sept. 11 suicide bombers flight training.
Southeast Asia struggles to protect vulnerable waterway
By Kari Huus
Reporter
MSNBC
Updated: 7:44 p.m. ET July 21, 2005
When 35 pirates carrying machine guns and rocket launchers boarded a tanker laden with methane in the Malacca Strait in March, it sent a shudder through the crew, and a ripple of fear from Tokyo to Washington.
The incident marked a resurgence in attacks along one of the world’s most vulnerable and valuable shipping lanes, where things had been relatively quiet following last year's tsunami. It also served as a reminder of the risks to world trade, and of the potential for terrorism in the region.
The attack on the tanker turned out to be routine highway robbery in the strait, whose waters are shared by Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Political obstacles to security
Since early last year, under pressure from the United States and other trading powers, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia have been struggling to devise a plan for better security in the narrow bottleneck.
Indeed, Adm. Thomas Fargo, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, prompted a flurry of regional security efforts when he told Congress in March 2004 that the military was looking at "putting Special Operations forces on high-speed vessels" in the strait "to conduct interdiction."
Indonesia and Malaysia, which firmly rejected the idea of a U.S. military presence in their waters, have started working, along with Singapore, on building a system of joint patrol, a move lauded by security experts.
In the meantime, however, successful attacks continue mainly because the pirates flee international waters a short distance into the Indonesian archipelago, where Malaysian and Singaporean vessels cannot pursue them.
"If those three countries agree on hot pursuit into each others territorial waters, that would be big progress in terms of cooperation," said Yoichiro Sato, associate professor at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii.
But the poor state of Indonesia's military remains a major obstacle to security. By some estimates, only about one-third of its vessels are even seaworthy, says Jeorg Eschenfelder, Southeast Asia editor for the World Security Network. "They have equipment problems, training problems and corruption" to complicate their fight against piracy.
Many of the pirates "are better equipped and trained than the coast guard or navies in the region," he said.
Wealthy Singapore, with its largely Chinese and non-Muslim population, is the most zealous enforcer in the region, because port and maritime services are the lifeblood of the tiny city-state's economy. It also sees the United States as a key ally in a largely Muslim region.
"Singapore is scared of its bigger neighbors, so it is trying to enhance ties with the United States," Sato said. "It actually welcomes a U.S. military presence in the region; for the same reason it invites the Japanese to be in the region with their coast guard or Self Defense Forces.
Outside nations keep eye on the problem
There's no shortage of nations with an interest in Malacca's security, but their involvement remains marginal.
Japan would like to help police the strait, and it's under pressure from shipowners to help after pirates abducted threw crew members of a Japanese-owned tugboat in March. In its most recent move, in June, Tokyo sent a coast guard patrol vessel to the region.
However, lingering sensitivities over Tokyo's World War II atrocities in Southeast Asia dictate that Japan cannot send military vessels or run patrols, and that its role will remain largely financial and technical. Even the coast guard vessel met with some resistance, and instead is being billed as a training vessel. Under Japan's own postwar constitution, it cannot export arms.
For now, Washington has taken a softer stand on the Malacca Straits, taking the lead of the newly appointed chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. William Fallon, who has said Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore can do a "very adequate" job of safeguarding security.
Support from the United States is focused on providing technology, reconnaissance data and running joint exercises to bolster local patrols.
Sato said risks in the straits may also prompt the United States to lift restrictions on military sales to Indonesia that were imposed in the 1990s because of alleged human rights abuses by its military.
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld held security meetings in Southeast Asia in June, urging coastal nations to work together on Malacca security, a reminder that the United States is standing by to protect its interests.
But in the nightmare scenario, terrorists using the methods of modern-day pirates seize a gas tanker and use it as floating bomb, which experts say could explode with the force of a small nuclear weapon. The damage from such an attack could go well beyond the immediate bloodshed and environmental damage, hobbling U.S. trade with Asia and cutting off essential energy supplies shipped through the narrow channel to China, South Korea and Japan.
"The threat is real and urgent," Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told a regional security conference in June. "We know that terrorists have been studying maritime targets across the region."
Each year, 60,000 ships ply the Malacca Strait, carrying about half of the world's oil and one-third of its trade. That includes nearly all of U.S. imports from China and 80 percent of the oil used by economic powers Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
In the 600-mile long passageway, just 20 nautical miles across at its narrowest, slow-moving cargo ships are easy to spot and chase down. Many of the attacks succeed because pirates can quickly retreat into national waters where pursuers cannot follow, and hide among the myriad islands in the region. As shipping through the strait increases rapidly, security only gets harder to provide.
While the stakes are high for the United States and its trading partners, there are limits to American security efforts since the piracy is not in U.S. waters.
Many attacks not reported
In 2004, there were 37 attacks in the Malacca Straits reported to the Piracy Reporting Center of the Malaysia-based International Maritime Bureau, making it one of the most dangerous stretches of water on earth, according to the organization.
The number dropped sharply after the tsunami hit the region on Dec. 26, presumably because of the large presence of foreign military vessels helping with aid. But in mid-March, after their departure, the maritime bureau said violent ship attacks were on the rise again.
And reported attacks, experts agree, are only a sampling of reality, since shipping companies are reluctant to report the incidents, which can cause costly delays or push up insurance rates.
"There are more and more attacks that go unreported," said Gal Luft, director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security. "People in this industry ... admit that for them economically it doesn’t make sense."
"They don’t care about the geopolitical implications or the social cost of all this," Luft said.
As it is, the Lloyd’s and London insurance market Joint War Committee, an advisory body to insurers, reclassified the Malacca Strait as a war risk area this month — a signal to the insurance industry that regional conflict and the rising level of violence merit higher premiums for ships passing through the region.
The attacks vary. Some pirates target the contents of ship safes; others kidnap crew members for ransom, while others target high-value cargo.
One of the most recent reported incidents, technically in the Singapore Strait at the far southern end of the passage, took place on July 13, according to the International Maritime Bureau: "Six pirates armed with long knives and wearing black facemasks boarded a tanker under way via a speedboat. They took hostage two duty crewmembers and tied them up."
After destroying the ship's communication equipment, the bureau said, they took three more crew members and the captain hostage, and stole the ship's cash and other property.
More firepower
The attacks are increasingly sophisticated, employing military-style weapons and strategies.
"Because of the kinds of weapons they're carrying, they're use of flack jackets, a high degree of competency and tactical prowess ... it seems apparent that they’ve had some relatively vigorous training," says Rupert Herbert-Burns, director of intelligence and research for the Washington, D.C.-based arm of Lloyds Marine Intelligence group in London.
"We’re talking about criminals here … with more sophistication, scales of ammunition, adequate use of command and control, the use of multiple boats and the ability to seize precisely the right ship," he said.
So far, the link between these criminals and terrorism remains largely a matter of speculation and concern. Skeptics say that the United States and its allies exaggerate the threat as a way to justify asserting themselves in the region.
But there is some evidence that is cause for concern. The separatist group known by the acronym GAM, a group fighting to create an independent Islamic state in Indonesia's Aceh province, uses piracy to raise money for its long-running battle.
Of more concern is the Islamist extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah, which was behind the October 2002 nightclub bombing in Bali that killed more than 200 on the popular Indonesian resort island. Jemaah Islamiyah is known to operate throughout Southeast Asia, and has had at least some contact with al-Qaida.
Last August, Indonesia's intelligence chief, A.M. Hendropriyono, wrote in an opinion piece in the Jakarta Post that "senior Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists now in detention have admitted that attacks on Malacca shipping traffic have been contemplated in the recent past." He didn't provide any additional detail in the article, which argued for more cooperation in the region and help from the United States.
An attack in 2004, the details of which remain in dispute, also prompted intense focus on the potential for terrorism in Malacca. As it was reported, hijackers with assault rifles took over a chemical tanker, disabled the ship's radio, took the helm and apparently experimented with steering the vessel at various speeds, an incident that prompted comparisons with the Sept. 11 suicide bombers flight training.
saver111 - October 15, 2005 01:26 PM (GMT)
Somali pirates free hijacked U.N. aid ship
NAIROBI, Kenya (Reuters) -- Somali pirates freed a ship carrying U.N. food aid early Friday, two days after seizing it in the latest hijacking off the anarchic country's dangerous coast, the world body said.
Six gunmen stormed the MV Miltzow freighter Wednesday as its cargo of 850 tons of food aid was being offloaded in the port of Merka, and forced it to sail down the coast to Barawa.
The hijacking came 10 days after pirates released another ship laden with U.N. World Food Program aid, the MV Semlow, which they seized at sea and held for nearly 100 days.
But quick negotiations by the contractor hired by WFP to deliver the food and an official from Barawa, 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of the capital Mogadishu, secured the release of the Miltzow, its cargo and crew of one Ugandan and seven Kenyans.
"The ship has been released, and they started negotiating yesterday," WFP spokeswoman Anja du Toit said.
"The only thing we know is that the hijackers demanded a ransom of $20,000, but we don't know if that has been paid."
She said WFP did not and would not pay the ransom.
The Indian Ocean waters off Somalia are among the most dangerous in the world. The Horn of Africa nation of 10 million has had no proper government and no one to patrol its seas since 1991.
Pirates in armed speedboats typically race alongside slower-moving ships, fire on them, then board and take control at gunpoint.
Reacting to the recent spate of attacks on ships, Somalia's interim government condemned "the culture of piracy by freelance militias who are plundering the Somali coastline."
After its release, the Miltzow sailed back to Merka to unload 400 tons of rice, maize and vegetable oil still left on board. It was sent to help 78,000 people suffering from hunger and violence in the nearby Jilib district.
"Everybody [on board] is fine, and she is back in Merka," said Inayet Kudrati, director of the Motaku Shipping Agency based in Mombasa, Kenya.
Three ships owned by Motaku, including the two carrying U.N. food aid, have been hijacked in the last three months. One, seized with its crew of nine Kenyans and one Sri Lankan over the weekend, is still being held by pirates, he said.
The risk has prompted the shippers to stop sailing Somali routes until security is established.
The Somali government, struggling to establish authority at home, pleaded for international help watching its coast and financing and training its own coast guard.
"[Piracy] is a serious and dangerous new phenomena that is unfolding on the high seas of Somalia and is in fact a threat to all maritime vessels from the Red Sea to the southern tip of the Indian Ocean," it said.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/10/14...reut/index.html
As I remember, a Taiwanese fishing vessel with Filipino fishermen were also hijacked last month.
NAIROBI, Kenya (Reuters) -- Somali pirates freed a ship carrying U.N. food aid early Friday, two days after seizing it in the latest hijacking off the anarchic country's dangerous coast, the world body said.
Six gunmen stormed the MV Miltzow freighter Wednesday as its cargo of 850 tons of food aid was being offloaded in the port of Merka, and forced it to sail down the coast to Barawa.
The hijacking came 10 days after pirates released another ship laden with U.N. World Food Program aid, the MV Semlow, which they seized at sea and held for nearly 100 days.
But quick negotiations by the contractor hired by WFP to deliver the food and an official from Barawa, 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of the capital Mogadishu, secured the release of the Miltzow, its cargo and crew of one Ugandan and seven Kenyans.
"The ship has been released, and they started negotiating yesterday," WFP spokeswoman Anja du Toit said.
"The only thing we know is that the hijackers demanded a ransom of $20,000, but we don't know if that has been paid."
She said WFP did not and would not pay the ransom.
The Indian Ocean waters off Somalia are among the most dangerous in the world. The Horn of Africa nation of 10 million has had no proper government and no one to patrol its seas since 1991.
Pirates in armed speedboats typically race alongside slower-moving ships, fire on them, then board and take control at gunpoint.
Reacting to the recent spate of attacks on ships, Somalia's interim government condemned "the culture of piracy by freelance militias who are plundering the Somali coastline."
After its release, the Miltzow sailed back to Merka to unload 400 tons of rice, maize and vegetable oil still left on board. It was sent to help 78,000 people suffering from hunger and violence in the nearby Jilib district.
"Everybody [on board] is fine, and she is back in Merka," said Inayet Kudrati, director of the Motaku Shipping Agency based in Mombasa, Kenya.
Three ships owned by Motaku, including the two carrying U.N. food aid, have been hijacked in the last three months. One, seized with its crew of nine Kenyans and one Sri Lankan over the weekend, is still being held by pirates, he said.
The risk has prompted the shippers to stop sailing Somali routes until security is established.
The Somali government, struggling to establish authority at home, pleaded for international help watching its coast and financing and training its own coast guard.
"[Piracy] is a serious and dangerous new phenomena that is unfolding on the high seas of Somalia and is in fact a threat to all maritime vessels from the Red Sea to the southern tip of the Indian Ocean," it said.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/10/14...reut/index.html
As I remember, a Taiwanese fishing vessel with Filipino fishermen were also hijacked last month.
Fmr TOPP Awardee 82'PNP - October 15, 2005 11:00 PM (GMT)
It's quite difficult to negotiate with these hijackers via country to country protocol because Somalia has no government at the the moment.
Those pirates and hijackers were probably elements that belong to one of the warlords that dominate Somalia. It is one of their revenue making scheme to survive.
Those pirates and hijackers were probably elements that belong to one of the warlords that dominate Somalia. It is one of their revenue making scheme to survive.
caterwaul - October 16, 2005 03:17 AM (GMT)
My brother is a seaman on board a bulk carrier plying the African coast. Pirates are a constant threat to them but they have learned to fight back even if the ship principals didn't allow them to have guns. They have now 4 Rottweilers who alert them when pirates start to clamber up the hull. The sailors then drop huge nuts and bolts on the climbing pirates. The technique is to hit the pirates while they're climbing up the ship when they cannot use their guns. Now, the pirates have identified their ship to be a difficult target and have looked to other easier pickings.
Damn, a 10-kilo steel bolt can surely crack any pirate's head. :demon:
Damn, a 10-kilo steel bolt can surely crack any pirate's head. :demon:
seWer Rat - October 17, 2005 05:40 AM (GMT)
filipino initiative at work :thumb:
saver111 - October 17, 2005 12:49 PM (GMT)
Ha! You forgot the slingshots and arrows Tondo-gang style! European officers were quite astonished with such innovations. :drunk:
saver111 - October 22, 2005 07:47 AM (GMT)
Rapidfire - November 6, 2005 05:25 AM (GMT)
Cruise ship repels Somali pirates
A cruise ship sailing off Somalia has beaten back gunmen in speedboats who opened fire on it in an apparent pirate attack which terrified passengers.
At least two boats closed in on the Seabourn Spirit, firing automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at the cruise liner.
But crew took evasive action, repelling the attackers without returning fire.
One crew member was lightly injured in the early-morning incident in waters notorious for pirate attacks.
'Rocket hit ship'
The Bahamian-registered ship was carrying 302 passengers and crew, most of them are believed to be Americans as well as some Britons.
"My daughter saw the pirates out our window," passenger Edith Laird from Seattle in the US told the BBC News website in an e-mail from the ship.
"There were at least three RPG that hit the ship, one in a stateroom four doors down from our cabin," she said.
------
3 rpgs hit the ship! damn lucky passengers..
BBC
A cruise ship sailing off Somalia has beaten back gunmen in speedboats who opened fire on it in an apparent pirate attack which terrified passengers.
At least two boats closed in on the Seabourn Spirit, firing automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at the cruise liner.
But crew took evasive action, repelling the attackers without returning fire.
One crew member was lightly injured in the early-morning incident in waters notorious for pirate attacks.
'Rocket hit ship'
The Bahamian-registered ship was carrying 302 passengers and crew, most of them are believed to be Americans as well as some Britons.
"My daughter saw the pirates out our window," passenger Edith Laird from Seattle in the US told the BBC News website in an e-mail from the ship.
"There were at least three RPG that hit the ship, one in a stateroom four doors down from our cabin," she said.
------
3 rpgs hit the ship! damn lucky passengers..
BBC
saver111 - November 7, 2005 03:20 AM (GMT)
Crazy Pirates!
With Americans and Britons onboard, it's like they're inviting disaster on themselves. In a couple of weeks you will hear a multi-national Task Force being created to secure that coast. Similar to what is being done now at the Malacca Strait against piracy and that in South America against illegal drug trades.
http://pdff.sytes.net/index.php?showtopic=2478
With Americans and Britons onboard, it's like they're inviting disaster on themselves. In a couple of weeks you will hear a multi-national Task Force being created to secure that coast. Similar to what is being done now at the Malacca Strait against piracy and that in South America against illegal drug trades.
http://pdff.sytes.net/index.php?showtopic=2478
Wushu - November 9, 2005 10:23 AM (GMT)
Nov 7, 7:21 PM EST
Ship Blasted Pirates With Sonic Weapon
By JOHN PAIN
AP Business Writer
MIAMI (AP) -- The crew of a luxury cruise ship used a sonic weapon that blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam while being attacked by a gang of pirates off Africa this weekend, the cruise line said Monday.
The Seabourn Spirit had a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, installed as a part of its defense systems, said Bruce Good, a spokesman for Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line. The Spirit was about 100 miles off Somalia when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns as they tried to get onboard.
The subsidiary of Carnival Corp. was investigating whether the weapon was successful in warding off the pirates, he said. The ship's captain also changed its course, shifted into high speed and headed out into the open sea to elude the pirates, who were in two small boats, he said. He had no further details.
Device maker American Technology Corp. said earsplitting "bangs" were directed by trained security personnel toward the pirates. That, combined with ship maneuvers, caused the attackers to leave the area, the company said.
The LRAD is a so-called "non-lethal weapon" developed for the U.S. military after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole off Yemen as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships.
The military version is a 45-pound, dish-shaped device that can direct a high-pitched, piercing tone with a tight beam. Neither the LRAD's operators or others in the immediate area are affected.
American Technology, based in San Diego, compares its shrill tone to that of smoke detectors, only much louder. It can be as loud as about 150 decibels, while smoke alarms are about 80 to 90 decibels.
The devices have been deployed on commercial and naval vessels worldwide since summer 2003, the company said.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Ship Blasted Pirates With Sonic Weapon
By JOHN PAIN
AP Business Writer
MIAMI (AP) -- The crew of a luxury cruise ship used a sonic weapon that blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam while being attacked by a gang of pirates off Africa this weekend, the cruise line said Monday.
The Seabourn Spirit had a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, installed as a part of its defense systems, said Bruce Good, a spokesman for Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line. The Spirit was about 100 miles off Somalia when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns as they tried to get onboard.
The subsidiary of Carnival Corp. was investigating whether the weapon was successful in warding off the pirates, he said. The ship's captain also changed its course, shifted into high speed and headed out into the open sea to elude the pirates, who were in two small boats, he said. He had no further details.
Device maker American Technology Corp. said earsplitting "bangs" were directed by trained security personnel toward the pirates. That, combined with ship maneuvers, caused the attackers to leave the area, the company said.
The LRAD is a so-called "non-lethal weapon" developed for the U.S. military after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole off Yemen as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships.
The military version is a 45-pound, dish-shaped device that can direct a high-pitched, piercing tone with a tight beam. Neither the LRAD's operators or others in the immediate area are affected.
American Technology, based in San Diego, compares its shrill tone to that of smoke detectors, only much louder. It can be as loud as about 150 decibels, while smoke alarms are about 80 to 90 decibels.
The devices have been deployed on commercial and naval vessels worldwide since summer 2003, the company said.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
caterwaul - November 9, 2005 11:12 AM (GMT)
cool, this is much better than my brother's nuts and bolts weapons - sent him an email of Wushu's post so he can inform his ship principals :thumb:
Wushu - January 27, 2006 05:12 AM (GMT)
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,1331...l?ESRC=dod-b.nl
U.S. Navy Seizes Pirate Ship off Somalia
Associated Press | January 23, 2006
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The U.S. Navy boarded an apparent pirate ship in the Indian Ocean and detained 26 men for questioning, the Navy said Sunday. The 16 Indians and 10 Somali men were aboard a traditional dhow that was chased and seized Saturday by the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill, said Lt. Leslie Hull-Ryde of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain.
The dhow stopped fleeing after the Churchill twice fired warning shots during the chase, which ended 54 miles off the coast of Somalia, the Navy said. U.S. Sailors boarded the dhow and seized a cache of small arms.
The dhow's crew and passengers were being questioned Sunday aboard the Churchill to determine which were pirates and which were legitimate crew members, Hull-Ryde said.
Sailors aboard the dhow told Navy investigators that pirates hijacked the vessel six days ago near Mogadishu and thereafter used it to stage pirate attacks on merchant ships.
The Churchill is part of a multinational task force patrolling the western Indian Ocean and Horn of Africa region to thwart terrorist activity and other lawlessness during the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
The Navy said it captured the dhow in response to a report from the International Maritime Bureau in Kuala Lumpur on Friday that said pirates had fired on the MV Delta Ranger, a Bahamian-flagged bulk carrier that was passing some 200 miles off the central eastern coast of Somalia.
Hull-Ryde said the Navy was still investigating the incident and would discuss with international authorities what to do with the detained men.
"The disposition of people and vessels involved in acts of piracy on the high seas are based on a variety of factors, including the offense, the flags of the vessels, the nationalities of the crew, and others," Hull-Ryde said in an e-mail.
Piracy is rampant off the coast of Somalia, which is torn by renewed clashes between militias fighting over control of the troubled African country. Many shipping companies resort to paying ransoms, saying they have few alternatives.
Last month, Somali militiamen finally relinquished a merchant ship hijacked in October.
In November, Somali pirates freed a Ukrainian ore carrier and its 22 member crew after holding it for 40 days. It was unclear whether a US$700,000 ransom demanded by the pirates had been paid.
One of the boldest recent attacks was on Nov. 5, when two boats full of pirates approached a cruise ship carrying Western tourists, about 100 miles off Somalia and fired rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.
The crew used a weapon that directs earsplitting noise at attackers, then sped away.
Somalia has had no effective government since 1991, when warlords ousted a dictatorship and then turned on each other, carving the nation of 8.2 million into a patchwork of fiefdoms.
U.S. Navy Seizes Pirate Ship off Somalia
Associated Press | January 23, 2006
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The U.S. Navy boarded an apparent pirate ship in the Indian Ocean and detained 26 men for questioning, the Navy said Sunday. The 16 Indians and 10 Somali men were aboard a traditional dhow that was chased and seized Saturday by the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill, said Lt. Leslie Hull-Ryde of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain.
The dhow stopped fleeing after the Churchill twice fired warning shots during the chase, which ended 54 miles off the coast of Somalia, the Navy said. U.S. Sailors boarded the dhow and seized a cache of small arms.
The dhow's crew and passengers were being questioned Sunday aboard the Churchill to determine which were pirates and which were legitimate crew members, Hull-Ryde said.
Sailors aboard the dhow told Navy investigators that pirates hijacked the vessel six days ago near Mogadishu and thereafter used it to stage pirate attacks on merchant ships.
The Churchill is part of a multinational task force patrolling the western Indian Ocean and Horn of Africa region to thwart terrorist activity and other lawlessness during the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
The Navy said it captured the dhow in response to a report from the International Maritime Bureau in Kuala Lumpur on Friday that said pirates had fired on the MV Delta Ranger, a Bahamian-flagged bulk carrier that was passing some 200 miles off the central eastern coast of Somalia.
Hull-Ryde said the Navy was still investigating the incident and would discuss with international authorities what to do with the detained men.
"The disposition of people and vessels involved in acts of piracy on the high seas are based on a variety of factors, including the offense, the flags of the vessels, the nationalities of the crew, and others," Hull-Ryde said in an e-mail.
Piracy is rampant off the coast of Somalia, which is torn by renewed clashes between militias fighting over control of the troubled African country. Many shipping companies resort to paying ransoms, saying they have few alternatives.
Last month, Somali militiamen finally relinquished a merchant ship hijacked in October.
In November, Somali pirates freed a Ukrainian ore carrier and its 22 member crew after holding it for 40 days. It was unclear whether a US$700,000 ransom demanded by the pirates had been paid.
One of the boldest recent attacks was on Nov. 5, when two boats full of pirates approached a cruise ship carrying Western tourists, about 100 miles off Somalia and fired rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.
The crew used a weapon that directs earsplitting noise at attackers, then sped away.
Somalia has had no effective government since 1991, when warlords ousted a dictatorship and then turned on each other, carving the nation of 8.2 million into a patchwork of fiefdoms.
saver111 - February 1, 2006 05:39 AM (GMT)
Piracy attacks drop in 2005 but Iraq hotspot emerging
KUALA LUMPUR -- High-seas pirate attacks fell last year amid enhanced vigilance but Iraq emerged for the first time as a new piracy hotspot with the waters off Indonesia remaining the most dangerous in the world, an international watchdog reported.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said the total number of piracy attacks worldwide dropped to 276 last year, from 329 in 2004, the lowest number reported to its Piracy Reporting Center since 1999.
Indonesian waters, with almost 30 percent of the world's attacks, were the most treacherous despite a drop in attacks to 79, from 94 the year before.
Attacks in the notorious Strait of Malacca also fell significantly to 12, from 38 in 2004, prompting the IMB to credit governments for increased patrols aimed at curbing piracy.
Attacks also fell in waters off Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Nigeria and Guinea, it said.
"The IMB attributes the welcome drop in attacks to increased awareness and anti-piracy
watches by shipmasters in risk prone areas, coupled with an increase in law enforcement patrols and increased pressure on certain governments to act," it said in a report released in London late Monday.
The IMB noted a surge in activity in some piracy-prone regions, especially Tanzania, Vietnam and lawless Somalia, where heavily-armed pirates operated from far out to sea.
Iraq stood out "as a new world piracy hotspot," with 10 attacks in 2005 after none the year before.
"Opportunists whose main motivation is robbery and financial gain, and who use extreme violence towards crews in most cases perpetrate these attacks," the IMB report said.
Most of Iraq's attacks were on vessels anchored near the Basrah oil terminal and Umm Qasr off the country's southeastern coast, it said.
Anarchy in Somalia spilled into its waters last year, with 35 attacks, compared to just two the year before, making it the second most dangerous place in the world and the most dangerous in Africa, the IMB said.
Pirates armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades worked off "mother ships" raiding vessels far out to sea and kidnapping crews for ransom.
"With no central government and no national law enforcement infrastructure in the country, there is no local assistance available to the captured ships," the IMB said, adding a warning to ships to remain at least 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast.
The IMB's report said 440 seafarers were taken hostage in 2005 in Somalia, Indonesia and Nigeria, the highest number recorded since 1992 when the Piracy Reporting Center was set up in Kuala Lumpur.
The report said 23 vessels were hijacked last year, the highest number since 2002, and although no crew members were killed, compared to 30 in 2004, 12 were still missing.
Other piracy-prone areas included the waters off Bangladesh, India and the Singapore Straits in Southeast Asia and South Asia, and the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana in Africa.
Ships had also been warned about the waters off Jamaica, Haiti and Peru, said the report.
http://news.inq7.net/world/index.php?index=1&story_id=64713
KUALA LUMPUR -- High-seas pirate attacks fell last year amid enhanced vigilance but Iraq emerged for the first time as a new piracy hotspot with the waters off Indonesia remaining the most dangerous in the world, an international watchdog reported.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said the total number of piracy attacks worldwide dropped to 276 last year, from 329 in 2004, the lowest number reported to its Piracy Reporting Center since 1999.
Indonesian waters, with almost 30 percent of the world's attacks, were the most treacherous despite a drop in attacks to 79, from 94 the year before.
Attacks in the notorious Strait of Malacca also fell significantly to 12, from 38 in 2004, prompting the IMB to credit governments for increased patrols aimed at curbing piracy.
Attacks also fell in waters off Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Nigeria and Guinea, it said.
"The IMB attributes the welcome drop in attacks to increased awareness and anti-piracy
watches by shipmasters in risk prone areas, coupled with an increase in law enforcement patrols and increased pressure on certain governments to act," it said in a report released in London late Monday.
The IMB noted a surge in activity in some piracy-prone regions, especially Tanzania, Vietnam and lawless Somalia, where heavily-armed pirates operated from far out to sea.
Iraq stood out "as a new world piracy hotspot," with 10 attacks in 2005 after none the year before.
"Opportunists whose main motivation is robbery and financial gain, and who use extreme violence towards crews in most cases perpetrate these attacks," the IMB report said.
Most of Iraq's attacks were on vessels anchored near the Basrah oil terminal and Umm Qasr off the country's southeastern coast, it said.
Anarchy in Somalia spilled into its waters last year, with 35 attacks, compared to just two the year before, making it the second most dangerous place in the world and the most dangerous in Africa, the IMB said.
Pirates armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades worked off "mother ships" raiding vessels far out to sea and kidnapping crews for ransom.
"With no central government and no national law enforcement infrastructure in the country, there is no local assistance available to the captured ships," the IMB said, adding a warning to ships to remain at least 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast.
The IMB's report said 440 seafarers were taken hostage in 2005 in Somalia, Indonesia and Nigeria, the highest number recorded since 1992 when the Piracy Reporting Center was set up in Kuala Lumpur.
The report said 23 vessels were hijacked last year, the highest number since 2002, and although no crew members were killed, compared to 30 in 2004, 12 were still missing.
Other piracy-prone areas included the waters off Bangladesh, India and the Singapore Straits in Southeast Asia and South Asia, and the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana in Africa.
Ships had also been warned about the waters off Jamaica, Haiti and Peru, said the report.
http://news.inq7.net/world/index.php?index=1&story_id=64713
Fmr TOPP Awardee 82'PNP - February 1, 2006 09:30 PM (GMT)
The IMB should introduce a security scheme to authorize Merchant ship companies to have their own on board trained security on every merchant ship plying in critical routes like the notorious Malacca Strait.
These trained security personnel is independent from the crew of the Merchant ship, except that they are still under supervision by the ship's master.
On how to legalize this, it should be in a form of an international treaty relevant to the IMB.
These trained security personnel is independent from the crew of the Merchant ship, except that they are still under supervision by the ship's master.
On how to legalize this, it should be in a form of an international treaty relevant to the IMB.
saver111 - February 2, 2006 05:27 AM (GMT)
That subject matter has been proposed and opposed many times. In fact in the Philippines alone there is a company in Subic offering such managed by former European special forces personnel. But international bodies agreed that it is the obligation of nations covering areas navigated by merchant ships. In line with this, they develop new regulations for the merchant marine industry to adopt. The Crew, Shipmanagement, Port State Authorities and Flag States all have different responsibilities which they needed trainings to perform these. As the report says, a decline in piracy incidents has been observed. In addition to this, countries now are conducting joint operations in patroliing international sealanes.
| QUOTE |
| QUOTE (flipzi @ Jun 29 2005, 01:03 PM) What is this ISPS Code, saver? Could you tell us more about this? PAcheers.gif In response to the continuing threats relating to maritime security right after 9-11, the IMO (International Maritime Organization) of which the Philippines is a signatory, has come up with a new regulation which is the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. This took effect worldwide last July 1, 2004. http://www.imo.org/Newsroom/mainframe.asp?...583&doc_id=2689 http://fleet.inmarsat.com/F77_security.htm Here, the Ship Owners (Company), the Ship (Crewmembers) and the Port Facilities Authorities work hand in hand in securing ships of their responsibilities. Company's make their own security plans to be adopted by Ships personnel in any eventualities which is to be approved by I think the Flag State of which the Ship is registered. They also provide for the equipments to be needed such as cameras, sonars, electric fences, AIS GPS, etc. Ship's personnel on their part implement the policies on board, checks their ships and its surroundings while in port and at sea. Crew (seaman) are required to undergo trainings with officers assigned as Ship's Security Officers making observations and reports to the Company assigned Security Officer. Port Facilities has their own Security Officers providing Ships of any information and alert levels (1, 2, 3). Other countries, like the U.S. in addition to the ISPS at times makes their own security measures like notices of Ships about 24 hours or more prior to their arrival. Countries not implementing the code creates problems for ships coming from their area as this means more scrutiny from the Port Facilities and sometimes refused entry to the ports as you could see in some news of vessels being held. As for the Philippines, the Maritime Sector has been pushing for its implementation prior to July 2004. Maybe due to shortage of personnel and means, the Super Ferry incident was a wake-up call. You could now see in the news of illegal arms and weapons being confiscated because of this code. But recent surveys, it is yet to be implemented in other ports of the country. With the JI and piracy getting strong in the SEA seas, the U.S. has offered to patrol the area with Singapore endorsing it being a shipping hub. Other ASEAN nations refused as they said they could handle the joint patrol. I believe the anti-piracy network is based in Malaysia. |
saver111 - February 20, 2006 09:30 AM (GMT)
Philippines seeking release of Filipino hostage in Nigeria
The Philippines is doing everything it can to seek the release of a Filipino hostage in Nigeria.
In a statement by Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Monday, he said, "The President has instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) through the Philippine Embassy in Nigeria to ensure the safety of the Filipino hostage reportedly abducted by a militant group."
"She has also ordered the DFA to coordinate closely with the labor department in drawing up and implementing a contingency plan for Filipinos still in that country," Bunye said.
He said, "We are firmly committed to this goal of securing the safety of our citizens abroad in the same way that we are working round-the-clock with local governments, national agencies, and international relief workers to rescue and provide relief to the landslide victims of Southern Leyte."
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Esteban B. Conejos, Jr., reported that the Filipino and eight other expatriates who were captured early on February 18 by armed militants from a barge in the Niger Delta “are all in good health and are being treated well by their captors.”
Undersecretary Conejos said that the nine foreign oil workers – one Filipino, three Americans, two Egyptians, two Thais and a Briton – were on a pipe-laying barge in Nigeria’s Niger Delta when they were attacked at around 5:00 a.m. on February 18 by several speed boats.
Two soldiers from Nigeria’s military force, tasked to protect oil workers in the Delta, were reportedly injured in the attack. Earlier, a militant commander declared “total war” on all foreign oil interests in the Delta.
Philippine Ambassador to Abuja, Nigeria, Masaranga R. Umpa reported that the embassy immediately coordinated with the United States Embassy in Nigeria, barge operator Willbros Group, and other concerned authorities on the efforts to release the hostages.
Ambassador Umpa said that as of 5:00 p.m. (local time) on February 19, Willbros relayed the information that the nine hostages “are all in good health and are treated well by their captors.”
The Ambassador stated that a meeting is scheduled on February 20 between main contractor Shell Petroleum Development Corporation and security consultants to discuss the possible negotiation for the release of the hostages.
The Department is withholding the name of the Filipino due to the ongoing negotiations for the release of the hostages and to respect the right to privacy of the family of the hostage.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS_FLAS...20065821_10.htm
The Philippines is doing everything it can to seek the release of a Filipino hostage in Nigeria.
In a statement by Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Monday, he said, "The President has instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) through the Philippine Embassy in Nigeria to ensure the safety of the Filipino hostage reportedly abducted by a militant group."
"She has also ordered the DFA to coordinate closely with the labor department in drawing up and implementing a contingency plan for Filipinos still in that country," Bunye said.
He said, "We are firmly committed to this goal of securing the safety of our citizens abroad in the same way that we are working round-the-clock with local governments, national agencies, and international relief workers to rescue and provide relief to the landslide victims of Southern Leyte."
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Esteban B. Conejos, Jr., reported that the Filipino and eight other expatriates who were captured early on February 18 by armed militants from a barge in the Niger Delta “are all in good health and are being treated well by their captors.”
Undersecretary Conejos said that the nine foreign oil workers – one Filipino, three Americans, two Egyptians, two Thais and a Briton – were on a pipe-laying barge in Nigeria’s Niger Delta when they were attacked at around 5:00 a.m. on February 18 by several speed boats.
Two soldiers from Nigeria’s military force, tasked to protect oil workers in the Delta, were reportedly injured in the attack. Earlier, a militant commander declared “total war” on all foreign oil interests in the Delta.
Philippine Ambassador to Abuja, Nigeria, Masaranga R. Umpa reported that the embassy immediately coordinated with the United States Embassy in Nigeria, barge operator Willbros Group, and other concerned authorities on the efforts to release the hostages.
Ambassador Umpa said that as of 5:00 p.m. (local time) on February 19, Willbros relayed the information that the nine hostages “are all in good health and are treated well by their captors.”
The Ambassador stated that a meeting is scheduled on February 20 between main contractor Shell Petroleum Development Corporation and security consultants to discuss the possible negotiation for the release of the hostages.
The Department is withholding the name of the Filipino due to the ongoing negotiations for the release of the hostages and to respect the right to privacy of the family of the hostage.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS_FLAS...20065821_10.htm
spiderweb6969 - February 20, 2006 10:41 PM (GMT)
Military Blunders: Piracy Is Good
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/a...s/20060218.aspx
February 18, 2006: Although most of the world thinks ill of the piracy that has been taking place off the Somali coast, apparently back home in Somalia, it's not perceived as all that bad. Naturally, of course, it brings in money, at least for the people involved in pirate gangs, which seems to include at least some of the local warlords and clan leaders.
But Piracy also benefits people who have no ties to it. Somali fishermen reportedly have been able to improve their catches as a result of piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa. The lack of a government in Somalia has meant that there is no navy or coast guard to patrol the country's "Exclusive Economic Zone." As a result, foreign fishing fleets have been illegally working Somali waters for some time, often employing illegal technologies to seriously deplete the fish stocks. With the increase in piracy, the foreign fishing boats have mostly been scared off, which leaves more fish for the Somali fishermen. Apparently the pirates usually don't bother the Somali fishermen, perhaps because of clan ties, because they're just too poor to rob, or they've made a deal to give the local pirates a portion of the catch.
So in a twisted sort of way, the pirates actually are serving the function of a "coast guard," at least as far as Somali fishermen are concerned.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/a...s/20060218.aspx
February 18, 2006: Although most of the world thinks ill of the piracy that has been taking place off the Somali coast, apparently back home in Somalia, it's not perceived as all that bad. Naturally, of course, it brings in money, at least for the people involved in pirate gangs, which seems to include at least some of the local warlords and clan leaders.
But Piracy also benefits people who have no ties to it. Somali fishermen reportedly have been able to improve their catches as a result of piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa. The lack of a government in Somalia has meant that there is no navy or coast guard to patrol the country's "Exclusive Economic Zone." As a result, foreign fishing fleets have been illegally working Somali waters for some time, often employing illegal technologies to seriously deplete the fish stocks. With the increase in piracy, the foreign fishing boats have mostly been scared off, which leaves more fish for the Somali fishermen. Apparently the pirates usually don't bother the Somali fishermen, perhaps because of clan ties, because they're just too poor to rob, or they've made a deal to give the local pirates a portion of the catch.
So in a twisted sort of way, the pirates actually are serving the function of a "coast guard," at least as far as Somali fishermen are concerned.
saver111 - March 1, 2006 06:41 AM (GMT)
and now the Nigerians are taking cue from the Somalis;
Niger Delta militants storm fuel tanker ship
WARRI, Nigeria, (AFP) - Nigerian separatist militants stormed a tanker ship working in the Niger Delta and took a large sum of cash on Tuesday, 12 days after they kidnapped nine foreign oil workers from another vessel.
The boarding of the kerosene tanker, which was working on the Escravos River in an area controlled by heavily armed ethnic Ijaw guerrilla fighters, came as Nigerian officials attempted to negotiate the safe release of the hostages.
"The tanker was intercepted by a patrol and set on its way. No one was hurt or kidnapped," said a spokesman for the rebel group, in a message sent from an email address previously used to distribute photographs of the kidnapped oilmen.
The insurgent spokesman said the tanker captain had parted with 500,000 naira as a "goodwill token" during the encounter, although a shipping industry source put the sum at two million naira ($ 15,500 or 13,000 euros).
"I think the ship captain has kept the rest for himself and crew," the anonymous rebel joked, explaining the discrepancy between the figures.
Henry Imhanlenjaye, who runs a fleet of small passenger boats operating from the oil port of Warri, told AFP by telephone that the attack had taken place on the Escravos River in an area controlled by the hostage-taking gang.
The Escravos connects Warri's refinery and docks to the Atlantic and runs past the ethnic Ijaw town of Okerenkoko, where the self-styled Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is believed to be holding its hostages.
An AFP reporter who toured the Escravos by boat on Friday found the river was patrolled by several fast war boats carrying heavily armed militants, who presented one of the nine captive foreign workers to journalists.
MEND seized the nine oilmen on February 18 during a series of armed attacks on security forces and oil facilities near the energy giant Shell's Forcados export terminal, 20 kms (13 miles) south of Tuesday's incident.
The attacks forced Shell to suspend production across the western Niger Delta, slashing output by 455,000 barrels of crude per day and cutting exports from Africa's largest oil producer by 20 percent.
The hostages work for the Shell subcontractor Willbros, a US-owned engineering firm.
They are Cody Oswald, Russel Spell and Macon Hawkins from the United States; British security expert John Hudspith; Bardese Mohammed and Aly Shady of Egypt; Tony Santos of the Philippines and Thailand's Muado Somsak and Arak Suwana.
Delta State's Governor James Ibori told reporters in Warri that a panel set up by his office to negotiate for the workers was making progress, but he backtracked from earlier assurances that their release was imminent.
"We do not have good news for you yet. We are still hopeful. The team that is working on this is working hard. They are credible," he said.
"We should reduce and shun the speculation on the release for now and allow the committee to do its work," he added.
He said that the rebels "demanded a guarantee that there would be no further military attacks on them and we have given them that guarantee."
The rebels have been dismissive in the past about Ibori's peace initiative, but their spokesman said Tuesday that the Thai, Egyptian and Filipino hostages might soon be allowed to go "before they cause a famine in our camp.
"Aside from their families, I don't think anyone is too bothered about them," he said, in an emailed response to a question from AFP.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2006030157521.html
Niger Delta militants storm fuel tanker ship
WARRI, Nigeria, (AFP) - Nigerian separatist militants stormed a tanker ship working in the Niger Delta and took a large sum of cash on Tuesday, 12 days after they kidnapped nine foreign oil workers from another vessel.
The boarding of the kerosene tanker, which was working on the Escravos River in an area controlled by heavily armed ethnic Ijaw guerrilla fighters, came as Nigerian officials attempted to negotiate the safe release of the hostages.
"The tanker was intercepted by a patrol and set on its way. No one was hurt or kidnapped," said a spokesman for the rebel group, in a message sent from an email address previously used to distribute photographs of the kidnapped oilmen.
The insurgent spokesman said the tanker captain had parted with 500,000 naira as a "goodwill token" during the encounter, although a shipping industry source put the sum at two million naira ($ 15,500 or 13,000 euros).
"I think the ship captain has kept the rest for himself and crew," the anonymous rebel joked, explaining the discrepancy between the figures.
Henry Imhanlenjaye, who runs a fleet of small passenger boats operating from the oil port of Warri, told AFP by telephone that the attack had taken place on the Escravos River in an area controlled by the hostage-taking gang.
The Escravos connects Warri's refinery and docks to the Atlantic and runs past the ethnic Ijaw town of Okerenkoko, where the self-styled Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is believed to be holding its hostages.
An AFP reporter who toured the Escravos by boat on Friday found the river was patrolled by several fast war boats carrying heavily armed militants, who presented one of the nine captive foreign workers to journalists.
MEND seized the nine oilmen on February 18 during a series of armed attacks on security forces and oil facilities near the energy giant Shell's Forcados export terminal, 20 kms (13 miles) south of Tuesday's incident.
The attacks forced Shell to suspend production across the western Niger Delta, slashing output by 455,000 barrels of crude per day and cutting exports from Africa's largest oil producer by 20 percent.
The hostages work for the Shell subcontractor Willbros, a US-owned engineering firm.
They are Cody Oswald, Russel Spell and Macon Hawkins from the United States; British security expert John Hudspith; Bardese Mohammed and Aly Shady of Egypt; Tony Santos of the Philippines and Thailand's Muado Somsak and Arak Suwana.
Delta State's Governor James Ibori told reporters in Warri that a panel set up by his office to negotiate for the workers was making progress, but he backtracked from earlier assurances that their release was imminent.
"We do not have good news for you yet. We are still hopeful. The team that is working on this is working hard. They are credible," he said.
"We should reduce and shun the speculation on the release for now and allow the committee to do its work," he added.
He said that the rebels "demanded a guarantee that there would be no further military attacks on them and we have given them that guarantee."
The rebels have been dismissive in the past about Ibori's peace initiative, but their spokesman said Tuesday that the Thai, Egyptian and Filipino hostages might soon be allowed to go "before they cause a famine in our camp.
"Aside from their families, I don't think anyone is too bothered about them," he said, in an emailed response to a question from AFP.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2006030157521.html
GKB02 - March 1, 2006 01:47 PM (GMT)
why is that pinoy hostage in nigeria not getting the same attention as angelo de la cruz??? :armyneutral: GMA should be doing her best to free him from those pirates.. :headbang: all those drama just for popularity ratings
saver111 - March 1, 2006 02:58 PM (GMT)
Pasensya ka na Bro, sa dami ng mga pangyayari sa mga nagdaang araw, na lipat focus ng Gobyerno at media sa mga KSP. Leyte nga ang lapit, natabunan na mga biktima, pati balita ba naman, natabunan din.
Buti nga, naagapan. Kungdi mas marami pa mapapahamak kaysa duon sa nag-iisang Pinoy sa Nigeria. But don't worry, as stated above our people there are doing their best and coordinating with the Employers and Nigerian authorities.
Let's just hope and pray, malulusutan din.
Buti nga, naagapan. Kungdi mas marami pa mapapahamak kaysa duon sa nag-iisang Pinoy sa Nigeria. But don't worry, as stated above our people there are doing their best and coordinating with the Employers and Nigerian authorities.
Let's just hope and pray, malulusutan din.
saver111 - March 2, 2006 08:50 AM (GMT)
Here's the good news!
Nigerian rebels release Pinoy and 5 other hostages
WARRI, Nigeria, March 1, 2006 (AFP) - Nigerian separatist guerrillas released six of their nine foreign hostages on Wednesday but warned that they would step up attacks aimed at shutting down the country's oil industry.
The militants also said they would not hand over the remaining captives, two Americans and a Briton, until two ethnic Ijaw leaders are freed from jail and the oil giant Shell pays a hefty sum to compensate polluted villages.
Delta State Governor James Ibori welcomed the released captives -- Macon Hawkins of the United States, Egypt's Bardese Mohammed and Aly Shady,Tony Santos of the Philippinesand Thailand's Muado Somsak and Arak Suwana -- to his lodge in the city of Warri.
The ailing Hawkins, who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, was released on his 69th birthday, after 13 days in the Niger Delta swamps.
"We are very pleased that six of the hostages have been released. I want to thank everyone that has assisted in this effort. I want to thank the captors for deeming it fit to release six out of the nine," Ibori said.
"But I want to appeal to them to release the others. I want to tell them that there is no political gain for holding on to the remaining three for more days any longer," he added.
"We would have been celebrating today if all of them had been released."
The ex-hostages did not speak to the media.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2006030257604.html
Nigerian rebels release Pinoy and 5 other hostages
WARRI, Nigeria, March 1, 2006 (AFP) - Nigerian separatist guerrillas released six of their nine foreign hostages on Wednesday but warned that they would step up attacks aimed at shutting down the country's oil industry.
The militants also said they would not hand over the remaining captives, two Americans and a Briton, until two ethnic Ijaw leaders are freed from jail and the oil giant Shell pays a hefty sum to compensate polluted villages.
Delta State Governor James Ibori welcomed the released captives -- Macon Hawkins of the United States, Egypt's Bardese Mohammed and Aly Shady,Tony Santos of the Philippinesand Thailand's Muado Somsak and Arak Suwana -- to his lodge in the city of Warri.
The ailing Hawkins, who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, was released on his 69th birthday, after 13 days in the Niger Delta swamps.
"We are very pleased that six of the hostages have been released. I want to thank everyone that has assisted in this effort. I want to thank the captors for deeming it fit to release six out of the nine," Ibori said.
"But I want to appeal to them to release the others. I want to tell them that there is no political gain for holding on to the remaining three for more days any longer," he added.
"We would have been celebrating today if all of them had been released."
The ex-hostages did not speak to the media.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2006030257604.html
GKB02 - March 2, 2006 01:42 PM (GMT)
:thumb: good news indeed...
saver111 - March 20, 2006 11:14 AM (GMT)
US Navy attacks Somali 'pirates'
Somali militiamen who skirmished with US navy vessels said that they had been patrolling Somali waters to stop illegal fishing vessels.
Two US navy ships exchanged gunfire with suspected pirates off Somalia on Saturday, killing one suspect and wounding five others. The Navy said that the incident had taken place on international waters and that 12 suspects had been taken into custody.
Saleban Aadan Barqad, a spokesman for the militias, said that 27 Somali militiamen had been patrolling off the Somali coast before the gun battle. Fourteen of them returned to shore safely. He said that the Navy had opened fire on the Somali militiamen’s utility boat, contradicting American claims. The militiamen “were in an operation to protect the country’s sea resources from illicit exploitation by foreign vessels”, he said.
A navy spokesman said that the coalition task force had seen the men holding what appeared to be rocket- propelled grenade launchers. When the suspects began shooting, naval gunners returned fire with mounted machineguns, killing one man, he added. (AP)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2094502,00.html
Haha, told you so. One of these days coalition forces will patrol that area. Take that you you pirates masquerading as militias or militias moonlighting as pirates? Just the same :gatling:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/03/19...s.ap/index.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11233378/
Somali militiamen who skirmished with US navy vessels said that they had been patrolling Somali waters to stop illegal fishing vessels.
Two US navy ships exchanged gunfire with suspected pirates off Somalia on Saturday, killing one suspect and wounding five others. The Navy said that the incident had taken place on international waters and that 12 suspects had been taken into custody.
Saleban Aadan Barqad, a spokesman for the militias, said that 27 Somali militiamen had been patrolling off the Somali coast before the gun battle. Fourteen of them returned to shore safely. He said that the Navy had opened fire on the Somali militiamen’s utility boat, contradicting American claims. The militiamen “were in an operation to protect the country’s sea resources from illicit exploitation by foreign vessels”, he said.
A navy spokesman said that the coalition task force had seen the men holding what appeared to be rocket- propelled grenade launchers. When the suspects began shooting, naval gunners returned fire with mounted machineguns, killing one man, he added. (AP)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2094502,00.html
Haha, told you so. One of these days coalition forces will patrol that area. Take that you you pirates masquerading as militias or militias moonlighting as pirates? Just the same :gatling:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/03/19...s.ap/index.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11233378/
saver111 - April 3, 2006 12:45 PM (GMT)
Pirates hijack tanker with Filipino crew off Somalia--IMB
By Agence France-Presse
KUALA LUMPUR -- A dozen heavily armed pirates have hijacked a UAE-registered oil tanker along with 19 Filipino crew members off the coast of Somalia, an international piracy watchdog said Monday.
"Twelve pirates armed with machine guns, AK47 rifles and sidearms boarded the tanker off Mogadishu during daylight," Noel Choong, head of the Piracy Reporting Center of the London-based International Maritime Bureau, told Agence France-Presse.
Choong said the United Arab Emirates oil tanker had earlier discharged its cargo at Mogadishu port and was hit on March 29 after leaving port.
Maritime officials identified the ship as "Lin 1."
Choong said the pirates are holding the ship off the coast of Somalia and are demanding "a huge sum of money" from the owners for its release.
The international coalition forces consisting of US, British and Dutch warships that are helping to police the area have been informed of the latest hijack, he said.
Choong said the pirates were holding the ship inside Somalia's territorial waters and this could pose a problem should the foreign ships want to intervene.
Since March 15, 2005, pirates have hit 40 ships off Somalia but many more attacks have gone unreported, he said.
Choong urged ship captains to keep their vessels at least 200 kilometers (125 miles) away from Somalia's coast to avoid pirate attacks.
"The pirates are armed and they will not hesitate to fire to stop ships," he warned.
In a recent incident, pirates fired at a UN food aid ship in an attempt to hijack it. Pirates had hijacked an Indian ship, the Bhakti Saga, on February 26. Its 25-member crew was only freed on March 29.
The waters around Somalia are among the most dangerous in the world, with heavily armed gangs prepared to venture far offshore to attack vessels.
http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_new/2006/apr/03-01.htm
:headbang: Stupid Ship Master, risking the lives of his crew. A major non-conformance to his Ship/Company's ISPS Code policy.
By Agence France-Presse
KUALA LUMPUR -- A dozen heavily armed pirates have hijacked a UAE-registered oil tanker along with 19 Filipino crew members off the coast of Somalia, an international piracy watchdog said Monday.
"Twelve pirates armed with machine guns, AK47 rifles and sidearms boarded the tanker off Mogadishu during daylight," Noel Choong, head of the Piracy Reporting Center of the London-based International Maritime Bureau, told Agence France-Presse.
Choong said the United Arab Emirates oil tanker had earlier discharged its cargo at Mogadishu port and was hit on March 29 after leaving port.
Maritime officials identified the ship as "Lin 1."
Choong said the pirates are holding the ship off the coast of Somalia and are demanding "a huge sum of money" from the owners for its release.
The international coalition forces consisting of US, British and Dutch warships that are helping to police the area have been informed of the latest hijack, he said.
Choong said the pirates were holding the ship inside Somalia's territorial waters and this could pose a problem should the foreign ships want to intervene.
Since March 15, 2005, pirates have hit 40 ships off Somalia but many more attacks have gone unreported, he said.
Choong urged ship captains to keep their vessels at least 200 kilometers (125 miles) away from Somalia's coast to avoid pirate attacks.
"The pirates are armed and they will not hesitate to fire to stop ships," he warned.
In a recent incident, pirates fired at a UN food aid ship in an attempt to hijack it. Pirates had hijacked an Indian ship, the Bhakti Saga, on February 26. Its 25-member crew was only freed on March 29.
The waters around Somalia are among the most dangerous in the world, with heavily armed gangs prepared to venture far offshore to attack vessels.
http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_new/2006/apr/03-01.htm
:headbang: Stupid Ship Master, risking the lives of his crew. A major non-conformance to his Ship/Company's ISPS Code policy.
saver111 - April 5, 2006 10:58 AM (GMT)
The DFA just recently denied the reports about this UAE registered tanker being hijacked with suppossedly 19 Filipinos onboard. But...
Pirates seize South Korean trawler
(CNN) -- Pirates hijacked a South Korean trawler off the coast of Africa on Tuesday, escaping into Somalia's territorial waters after threatening the ship's crew, the U.S. Navy reported.
The 160-foot fishing vessel Dong Won 628 was nearly 70 miles off the Somali coast when its crew reported coming under fire, the Navy said in a written statement.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt and the Dutch frigate Zeven Provincien attempted to intercept the ship before it entered Somali waters, but backed off after the pirates threatened the trawler's crew with guns, the Navy said.
Navy spokesman Cmdr. Jeff Breslau told The Associated Press that when the Dong Won turned toward Somalia, one or both of the U.S. and Dutch ships fired warning shots in its direction. Members of the South Korean crew were then seen on the deck of the Dong Won with guns pointed at them, so the U.S. and Dutch ships pulled back, he told AP.
"The top priority is the safety of innocent lives," the Navy statement said.
Somalia has been without a functioning central government for 15 years, and shipping insurer Lloyd's of London listed it as a "hot spot" for piracy in 2005. The targets are often U.N. World Food Program vessels carrying relief supplies and are frequently held for ransom.
Coalition officials fear Somalia could become a haven for the al Qaeda terrorist network, and a multinational task force has patrolled the waters off the Horn of Africa since late 2001. The Zeven Provincien is the task force's current flagship.
In March, two U.S. warships exchanged fire with suspected pirates off the coast, killing one and wounding five, the Navy said.
And in November, pirates aboard a speedboat fired rocket-propelled grenades at a 440-foot luxury cruise liner operated by Seabourn Cruise Lines. No one was hurt, and the liner's captain was able to get away before the pirates could board the ship.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/04/04...ates/index.html
Looks like these pirates are getting bolder, even challenging navies patrolling the area.
Pirates seize South Korean trawler
(CNN) -- Pirates hijacked a South Korean trawler off the coast of Africa on Tuesday, escaping into Somalia's territorial waters after threatening the ship's crew, the U.S. Navy reported.
The 160-foot fishing vessel Dong Won 628 was nearly 70 miles off the Somali coast when its crew reported coming under fire, the Navy said in a written statement.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt and the Dutch frigate Zeven Provincien attempted to intercept the ship before it entered Somali waters, but backed off after the pirates threatened the trawler's crew with guns, the Navy said.
Navy spokesman Cmdr. Jeff Breslau told The Associated Press that when the Dong Won turned toward Somalia, one or both of the U.S. and Dutch ships fired warning shots in its direction. Members of the South Korean crew were then seen on the deck of the Dong Won with guns pointed at them, so the U.S. and Dutch ships pulled back, he told AP.
"The top priority is the safety of innocent lives," the Navy statement said.
Somalia has been without a functioning central government for 15 years, and shipping insurer Lloyd's of London listed it as a "hot spot" for piracy in 2005. The targets are often U.N. World Food Program vessels carrying relief supplies and are frequently held for ransom.
Coalition officials fear Somalia could become a haven for the al Qaeda terrorist network, and a multinational task force has patrolled the waters off the Horn of Africa since late 2001. The Zeven Provincien is the task force's current flagship.
In March, two U.S. warships exchanged fire with suspected pirates off the coast, killing one and wounding five, the Navy said.
And in November, pirates aboard a speedboat fired rocket-propelled grenades at a 440-foot luxury cruise liner operated by Seabourn Cruise Lines. No one was hurt, and the liner's captain was able to get away before the pirates could board the ship.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/04/04...ates/index.html
Looks like these pirates are getting bolder, even challenging navies patrolling the area.
saver111 - April 24, 2006 01:12 PM (GMT)
Pirates now scarce due to joint sea patrols in Malacca Strait, says Malaysia
04/24 4:28:35 PM
SUBANG (AP) - Pirates have largely been run out of the Malacca Strait less than two years after Malaysia began joint patrols of the vital sea lane with neighbors Indonesia and Singapore, Malaysia said Monday.
"The situation is very stable, very benign," said Malaysian armed forces chief Admiral Mohamad Anwar Mohamad Nor, saying the statistics speak for themselves. "The incidence of piracy has gone down."
Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia officially began coordinated patrols in the 900-kilometer (550-mile) Malacca Strait in July 2004 after prodding from Washington, which said terrorists could link up with pirates already established in the narrow waterway to blow up an oil tanker or use it as a floating bomb.
Each year, more than 50,000 ships, carrying half the world's oil and a third of its commerce, use the route bordered by peninsular Malaysia and Singapore on one side and the Indonesian island of Sumatra on the other.
Any closure, analysts say, would cripple world commerce.
The three Southeast Asian nations launched coordinated air patrols in 2005. Singapore and Indonesia also have a ship surveillance monitoring center that tracks vessels in a sea lane leading into the straits _ which link Asia with Europe and the Middle East.
Mohamad Anwar said Malaysia has planned separate bilateral exercises with both Singapore and Indonesia this year, and praised Jakarta for its efforts to bring down piracy levels.
"They have made a lot of effort," said Mohamad Anwar. "What we are doing now is trying to get them (Indonesia) to commit more in terms of a presence of assets."
Piracy watchdogs International Maritime Bureau said in its 2005 annual report that pirates struck a dozen times in the Malacca Strait in 2005, down from 38 the previous year. The London-headquartered organization singled out increased efforts from the Indonesian Navy for the drop.
Singapore Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Ng Yat Chung acknowledged that the effort by the three countries along the waterway "has had an impact."
Ng said there were ongoing discussions with Thailand "to come on board." The three nations were holding information sharing discussions with Bangkok, Ng said, without elaborating.
Singapore's defense chief also said there were still niggling jurisdictional issues in the event of a chase into another's territory, but added that patrols have done it where "it is appropriate."
Both Mohamad Anwar and Ng were speaking on the sidelines of a four-day regional defense exposition here that began Monday.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS_FLAS...20067157_15.htm
Similar joint patrols should be done in the Somali coast.
04/24 4:28:35 PM
SUBANG (AP) - Pirates have largely been run out of the Malacca Strait less than two years after Malaysia began joint patrols of the vital sea lane with neighbors Indonesia and Singapore, Malaysia said Monday.
"The situation is very stable, very benign," said Malaysian armed forces chief Admiral Mohamad Anwar Mohamad Nor, saying the statistics speak for themselves. "The incidence of piracy has gone down."
Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia officially began coordinated patrols in the 900-kilometer (550-mile) Malacca Strait in July 2004 after prodding from Washington, which said terrorists could link up with pirates already established in the narrow waterway to blow up an oil tanker or use it as a floating bomb.
Each year, more than 50,000 ships, carrying half the world's oil and a third of its commerce, use the route bordered by peninsular Malaysia and Singapore on one side and the Indonesian island of Sumatra on the other.
Any closure, analysts say, would cripple world commerce.
The three Southeast Asian nations launched coordinated air patrols in 2005. Singapore and Indonesia also have a ship surveillance monitoring center that tracks vessels in a sea lane leading into the straits _ which link Asia with Europe and the Middle East.
Mohamad Anwar said Malaysia has planned separate bilateral exercises with both Singapore and Indonesia this year, and praised Jakarta for its efforts to bring down piracy levels.
"They have made a lot of effort," said Mohamad Anwar. "What we are doing now is trying to get them (Indonesia) to commit more in terms of a presence of assets."
Piracy watchdogs International Maritime Bureau said in its 2005 annual report that pirates struck a dozen times in the Malacca Strait in 2005, down from 38 the previous year. The London-headquartered organization singled out increased efforts from the Indonesian Navy for the drop.
Singapore Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Ng Yat Chung acknowledged that the effort by the three countries along the waterway "has had an impact."
Ng said there were ongoing discussions with Thailand "to come on board." The three nations were holding information sharing discussions with Bangkok, Ng said, without elaborating.
Singapore's defense chief also said there were still niggling jurisdictional issues in the event of a chase into another's territory, but added that patrols have done it where "it is appropriate."
Both Mohamad Anwar and Ng were speaking on the sidelines of a four-day regional defense exposition here that began Monday.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS_FLAS...20067157_15.htm
Similar joint patrols should be done in the Somali coast.
saver111 - May 3, 2006 11:57 AM (GMT)
Again...
Pirate attacks, hostage-taking increasing, says watchdog
KUALA LUMPUR - High-seas pirate attacks have risen in the first three months of this year, and incidents are becoming more violent with the rate of hostage-taking doubling, an international watchdog said Wednesday.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recorded 61 piracy attacks worldwide in the first quarter of 2006, compared to 56 in the same period last year, and called for continued efforts to battle the scourge.
"The Bureau warns that the international shipping industry should not be tempted to drop its guard," it said in a report.
More than two-thirds of the 61 attacks took place in Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Gulf of Aden in the Red Sea, Somalia and Nigeria, according to the IMB's Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur.
The rate of violence during the attacks, including deaths, assaults and threats, also shot up during the period to a total of 87 incidents, up from 48 in 2005.
The IMB said 63 crew members had been taken hostage so far in 2006, more than double the 31 hostages in the first quarter of 2005, while another 13 had been held for ransom.
One person was killed during the period, in a January incident in the Philippines where five pirates dressed in military-like uniforms and armed with automatic rifles attacked a fishing vessel.
"The master of the fishing vessel was shot dead and another crew member was shot in the leg," the IMB said.
The waters off Indonesia continued to be the most pirate-prone in the world, accounting for 19 or over a third of the attacks during the period.
Pirates also plagued hotspots off the coasts of Nigeria and Somalia, which has seen attackers with guns and grenades firing at ships and giving chase.
The head of the Piracy Reporting Center, Noel Choong, said Somali pirates accounted for nearly two-thirds of the hostage-takings during the first three months of this year. "Somalia is the most dangerous areas in terms of violence," he told AFP.
In one harrowing account reported to the IMB, Somali pirates with machine guns and rocket launchers repeatedly shot at Turkish bulk carrier MV Osman Mete on January 27 until they ran out of ammunition.
"The pirates then restocked ammunition from a nearby wooden fishing boat and resumed firing," said the IMB, adding the vessel was finally rescued by a warship.
US-led "coalition naval forces have begun patrolling, but are unable to patrol the entire vast area," said the IMB, advising vessels not making calls on Somali ports to keep as far away as possible from the waters.
However the IMB said that India, and the Malacca Strait between Indonesia and Malaysia whose infamy as a piracy-prone area has earned it an insurer's listing as one of the world's most dangerous areas, "showed a remarkable improvement."
There have been no attacks reported in either region so far in 2006, it said.
The IMB attributed to the improvement in the Malacca Strait to stepped up law enforcement and security measures from Indonesia and Malaysian authorities, but called on ships to remain vigilant.
"Though there have been no reported incidents in the quarter, ships are advised to continue maintaining a strict anti-piracy watch when transiting the straits," it said.
AFP
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=37514
Pirate attacks, hostage-taking increasing, says watchdog
KUALA LUMPUR - High-seas pirate attacks have risen in the first three months of this year, and incidents are becoming more violent with the rate of hostage-taking doubling, an international watchdog said Wednesday.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recorded 61 piracy attacks worldwide in the first quarter of 2006, compared to 56 in the same period last year, and called for continued efforts to battle the scourge.
"The Bureau warns that the international shipping industry should not be tempted to drop its guard," it said in a report.
More than two-thirds of the 61 attacks took place in Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Gulf of Aden in the Red Sea, Somalia and Nigeria, according to the IMB's Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur.
The rate of violence during the attacks, including deaths, assaults and threats, also shot up during the period to a total of 87 incidents, up from 48 in 2005.
The IMB said 63 crew members had been taken hostage so far in 2006, more than double the 31 hostages in the first quarter of 2005, while another 13 had been held for ransom.
One person was killed during the period, in a January incident in the Philippines where five pirates dressed in military-like uniforms and armed with automatic rifles attacked a fishing vessel.
"The master of the fishing vessel was shot dead and another crew member was shot in the leg," the IMB said.
The waters off Indonesia continued to be the most pirate-prone in the world, accounting for 19 or over a third of the attacks during the period.
Pirates also plagued hotspots off the coasts of Nigeria and Somalia, which has seen attackers with guns and grenades firing at ships and giving chase.
The head of the Piracy Reporting Center, Noel Choong, said Somali pirates accounted for nearly two-thirds of the hostage-takings during the first three months of this year. "Somalia is the most dangerous areas in terms of violence," he told AFP.
In one harrowing account reported to the IMB, Somali pirates with machine guns and rocket launchers repeatedly shot at Turkish bulk carrier MV Osman Mete on January 27 until they ran out of ammunition.
"The pirates then restocked ammunition from a nearby wooden fishing boat and resumed firing," said the IMB, adding the vessel was finally rescued by a warship.
US-led "coalition naval forces have begun patrolling, but are unable to patrol the entire vast area," said the IMB, advising vessels not making calls on Somali ports to keep as far away as possible from the waters.
However the IMB said that India, and the Malacca Strait between Indonesia and Malaysia whose infamy as a piracy-prone area has earned it an insurer's listing as one of the world's most dangerous areas, "showed a remarkable improvement."
There have been no attacks reported in either region so far in 2006, it said.
The IMB attributed to the improvement in the Malacca Strait to stepped up law enforcement and security measures from Indonesia and Malaysian authorities, but called on ships to remain vigilant.
"Though there have been no reported incidents in the quarter, ships are advised to continue maintaining a strict anti-piracy watch when transiting the straits," it said.
AFP
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=37514
| QUOTE |
| One person was killed during the period, in a January incident in the Philippines where five pirates dressed in military-like uniforms and armed with automatic rifles attacked a fishing vessel. |
saver111 - June 2, 2006 03:51 AM (GMT)
Filipino seaman held hostage in Somalia tells family one of 20 captives has died
06/02 10:51:01 AM
MANILA, (AP) - One of 20 Filipino seamen held hostage in Somalia for nine weeks has died in captivity, his colleague told relatives Friday, as the crewmen's families appealed for government action to secure their release.
The men were seized by Somali pirates after their oil tanker, the United Arab Emirates-registered MT LIN1, offloaded its cargo at a southern Somali port on March 29, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said.
Spokesman Gilbert Asuque said the department could not immediately confirm the reported death of one of the hostages, but said the government was trying to contact the ship's owners, who have been negotiating with the hostage takers.
The owners were not identified.
One of the captives spoke with a relative in the Philippines by satellite phone, and in portions aired over Radio DZMM and ABS-CBN TV, he said one of the crewmen had died accidentally.
The hostage takers did not want the deceased man identified and the crewman gave no other details.
Wives of the crewmen appealed to the Philippine government for assistance.
Carmen Narciso, wife of chief engineer Perfecto Narciso, said Thursday that the gunmen were feeding their captives only once a day because food was scarce.
In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Department said it realizes "the need of the ship owners to have every available time and option to resolve this dispute with the Somali group." It also warned Filipino seafarers to avoid Somali waters or trading with Somali ports "in view of the difficult security situation in that country."
Piracy in Somalia rose sharply last year, with the number of reported incidents at 35, compared with two in 2004, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The bandits target both passenger and cargo vessels for ransom or loot.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS_FLAS...220068062_2.htm
Isn't it the DFA denied this report of hijacking? :headbang:
06/02 10:51:01 AM
MANILA, (AP) - One of 20 Filipino seamen held hostage in Somalia for nine weeks has died in captivity, his colleague told relatives Friday, as the crewmen's families appealed for government action to secure their release.
The men were seized by Somali pirates after their oil tanker, the United Arab Emirates-registered MT LIN1, offloaded its cargo at a southern Somali port on March 29, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said.
Spokesman Gilbert Asuque said the department could not immediately confirm the reported death of one of the hostages, but said the government was trying to contact the ship's owners, who have been negotiating with the hostage takers.
The owners were not identified.
One of the captives spoke with a relative in the Philippines by satellite phone, and in portions aired over Radio DZMM and ABS-CBN TV, he said one of the crewmen had died accidentally.
The hostage takers did not want the deceased man identified and the crewman gave no other details.
Wives of the crewmen appealed to the Philippine government for assistance.
Carmen Narciso, wife of chief engineer Perfecto Narciso, said Thursday that the gunmen were feeding their captives only once a day because food was scarce.
In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Department said it realizes "the need of the ship owners to have every available time and option to resolve this dispute with the Somali group." It also warned Filipino seafarers to avoid Somali waters or trading with Somali ports "in view of the difficult security situation in that country."
Piracy in Somalia rose sharply last year, with the number of reported incidents at 35, compared with two in 2004, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The bandits target both passenger and cargo vessels for ransom or loot.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS_FLAS...220068062_2.htm
Isn't it the DFA denied this report of hijacking? :headbang:
| QUOTE |
| The hostage takers did not want the deceased man identified and the crewman gave no other details. |
19 (20 - 1 who reported) families waiting for the sad news.
saver111 - July 17, 2006 07:40 AM (GMT)
At last!
20 kidnapped Pinoy seamen in Somalia released after 2-1/2 months
MANILA (AP) -- About 20 Filipino seamen kidnapped by pirates in Somalia in March have been released and were on their way home, officials said Monday.
The men were freed on Saturday, and it wasn't clear if any ransom has been paid, said Roy Cimatu, the government's special envoy to the Middle East.
The men were seized after their oil tanker, the United Arab Emirates-registered MT LIN1, offloaded its cargo at a southern Somali port on March 29, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said.
Cimatu said the owners of the ship, who were not identified, negotiated for the release of the men. No other details were provided.
Piracy in Somalia rose sharply last year, with the number of reported incidents at 35, compared with two in 2004, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The bandits target both passenger and cargo vessels for ransom or loot.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2006071769492.html
20 kidnapped Pinoy seamen in Somalia released after 2-1/2 months
MANILA (AP) -- About 20 Filipino seamen kidnapped by pirates in Somalia in March have been released and were on their way home, officials said Monday.
The men were freed on Saturday, and it wasn't clear if any ransom has been paid, said Roy Cimatu, the government's special envoy to the Middle East.
The men were seized after their oil tanker, the United Arab Emirates-registered MT LIN1, offloaded its cargo at a southern Somali port on March 29, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said.
Cimatu said the owners of the ship, who were not identified, negotiated for the release of the men. No other details were provided.
Piracy in Somalia rose sharply last year, with the number of reported incidents at 35, compared with two in 2004, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The bandits target both passenger and cargo vessels for ransom or loot.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2006071769492.html
saver111 - January 22, 2007 06:03 AM (GMT)
Again
Nigeria in talks to free Filipino hostages
LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigerian officials have begun talks to secure the release of six Filipino seamen snatched from a cargo ship in the southern oil producing delta, authorities said on Sunday.
The talks started as Nigerian warships mobilized for a four-day exercise around the Niger Delta oilfields where militant attacks and kidnappings have hit production from the world's eighth largest oil exporter and forced thousands of foreign workers to leave.
"The six Filipinos are in good health and the government has made contact with their captors to ensure they are safe and to secure their early release," said Sheddy Ozoene, a spokesman for Delta State where the abduction took place.
Military and oil industry sources said on Saturday that a Nigerian seaman was also among the hostages taken from a cargo ship operated by Germany's Baco-Liner.
The kidnappers have demanded the release of two jailed leaders from the delta -- Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, a former governor impeached for corruption, and Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, a former militia leader facing treason charges, Ozoene said.
The demands are the same as those made by another militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which is holding three foreign oil workers hostage since December 7 and whose attacks last February hit oil production.
MEND said it is already in talks with the government about releasing the two prisoners in return for freeing their hostages and halting further kidnappings.
But MEND has vowed to extend its attacks on oil facilities until the region gains total control over its oil wealth.
The latest kidnapping brings to nine the number of foreign workers being held hostage in the Niger Delta.
Naval exercise
The delta accounts for all oil production from Nigeria and poverty fuels militancy and crime in its communities, where residents complain of neglect and marginalisation.
In response to rising violence, the Nigerian navy on Sunday mobilised warships for a four-day exercise off Bonny Island oil and gas export complex starting on Tuesday.
The Navy said 13 warships, four smaller boats and three helicopter gunships would take part in the exercise.
"It is for the protection of our offshore assets," said Chief of Naval Staff Ganiyu Adekeye on a ship in Lagos harbour, adding that they planned to simulate a "misadventure".
Militants kidnapped dozens of foreign oil workers last year, intensified attacks on oil facilities and the region saw a surge in violent crime.
Ships entering delta ports are often harassed by pirates from local communities who demand protection money.
Three oil workers including a Dutch national were killed by armed robbers on their way in a boat to Bonny Island last Tuesday.
Militants want to drive out foreigners from the delta and gain regional control over its oil wealth. The situation is complicated by rampant crime and corruption in state and local governments which means much of the money meant for improving living conditions in the creeks is looted.
MEND on Thursday released a sick Italian oil worker who had been in captivity in another part of the delta since Dec. 7 but said it would keep three other foreigners. All four work for Agip, a unit of Italian energy firm Eni.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=64088
Nigeria in talks to free Filipino hostages
LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigerian officials have begun talks to secure the release of six Filipino seamen snatched from a cargo ship in the southern oil producing delta, authorities said on Sunday.
The talks started as Nigerian warships mobilized for a four-day exercise around the Niger Delta oilfields where militant attacks and kidnappings have hit production from the world's eighth largest oil exporter and forced thousands of foreign workers to leave.
"The six Filipinos are in good health and the government has made contact with their captors to ensure they are safe and to secure their early release," said Sheddy Ozoene, a spokesman for Delta State where the abduction took place.
Military and oil industry sources said on Saturday that a Nigerian seaman was also among the hostages taken from a cargo ship operated by Germany's Baco-Liner.
The kidnappers have demanded the release of two jailed leaders from the delta -- Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, a former governor impeached for corruption, and Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, a former militia leader facing treason charges, Ozoene said.
The demands are the same as those made by another militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which is holding three foreign oil workers hostage since December 7 and whose attacks last February hit oil production.
MEND said it is already in talks with the government about releasing the two prisoners in return for freeing their hostages and halting further kidnappings.
But MEND has vowed to extend its attacks on oil facilities until the region gains total control over its oil wealth.
The latest kidnapping brings to nine the number of foreign workers being held hostage in the Niger Delta.
Naval exercise
The delta accounts for all oil production from Nigeria and poverty fuels militancy and crime in its communities, where residents complain of neglect and marginalisation.
In response to rising violence, the Nigerian navy on Sunday mobilised warships for a four-day exercise off Bonny Island oil and gas export complex starting on Tuesday.
The Navy said 13 warships, four smaller boats and three helicopter gunships would take part in the exercise.
"It is for the protection of our offshore assets," said Chief of Naval Staff Ganiyu Adekeye on a ship in Lagos harbour, adding that they planned to simulate a "misadventure".
Militants kidnapped dozens of foreign oil workers last year, intensified attacks on oil facilities and the region saw a surge in violent crime.
Ships entering delta ports are often harassed by pirates from local communities who demand protection money.
Three oil workers including a Dutch national were killed by armed robbers on their way in a boat to Bonny Island last Tuesday.
Militants want to drive out foreigners from the delta and gain regional control over its oil wealth. The situation is complicated by rampant crime and corruption in state and local governments which means much of the money meant for improving living conditions in the creeks is looted.
MEND on Thursday released a sick Italian oil worker who had been in captivity in another part of the delta since Dec. 7 but said it would keep three other foreigners. All four work for Agip, a unit of Italian energy firm Eni.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=64088
saver111 - January 22, 2007 02:52 PM (GMT)
Global pirate attacks in 2006 dip to lowest in 8 years
Associated Press
Last updated 07:27pm (Mla time) 01/22/2007
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Global pirate attacks in 2006 fell for the third year in a row to the lowest level in eight years, raising hopes that the war against armed robbery at sea can be won, an international maritime watchdog said Monday.
Last year, there were 239 attacks on ships, down from 276 in 2005 and 329 in 2004 -- thanks to precautionary measures by ship crew in hotspot areas and increased patrols by law enforcement agencies and navies, the International Maritime Bureau said in its annual report.
"More reporting and greater awareness leading to increased government reaction is proving a successful strategy in the battle against piracy," the London-based bureau said through its piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.
The IMB said the downtrend was a positive sign but urged authorities and ship crew to remain vigilant.
"We have to keep up the pressure by encouraging more ships to report attacks, getting ever more accurate figures, and increasing awareness. The strategy is working and there are now signs the war against piracy can be won," IMB director Pottengal Mukundan said in a statement.
Indonesia remained the world's hottest piracy hotspot with 50 attacks last year, but this was a marked improvement from 79 cases in 2005, the IMB report said.
But the situation has deteriorated in Bangladesh as cases of sea attacks more than doubled to 47 last year, the IMB said. Chittagong port, where most of the cases occurred, has been listed as the world's most dangerous port, it said.
Nigeria has 12 pirate attacks, the third highest, it said. Last year, 49 people, mostly foreign oil workers, were kidnapped and three killed, the report said.
Attacks in the busy Malacca Strait, which carries half the world's oil and more than a third of its commerce, have been on the decline since July 2005 with 11 cases last year, it said but warned ships to maintain a strict watch when transiting the waterway.
Fifteen crew were killed by pirates in 2006, compared to none in 2005 and 32 in 2004. Pirates took 188 people hostage in 2006, down from 440 in 2005 but up from 148 in 2004, its said.
More than half of the attacks occurred while vessels were at anchor, with attacks on bulk carriers accounted for about a quarter of the incidents, it said.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/...rticle_id=44938
Associated Press
Last updated 07:27pm (Mla time) 01/22/2007
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Global pirate attacks in 2006 fell for the third year in a row to the lowest level in eight years, raising hopes that the war against armed robbery at sea can be won, an international maritime watchdog said Monday.
Last year, there were 239 attacks on ships, down from 276 in 2005 and 329 in 2004 -- thanks to precautionary measures by ship crew in hotspot areas and increased patrols by law enforcement agencies and navies, the International Maritime Bureau said in its annual report.
"More reporting and greater awareness leading to increased government reaction is proving a successful strategy in the battle against piracy," the London-based bureau said through its piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.
The IMB said the downtrend was a positive sign but urged authorities and ship crew to remain vigilant.
"We have to keep up the pressure by encouraging more ships to report attacks, getting ever more accurate figures, and increasing awareness. The strategy is working and there are now signs the war against piracy can be won," IMB director Pottengal Mukundan said in a statement.
Indonesia remained the world's hottest piracy hotspot with 50 attacks last year, but this was a marked improvement from 79 cases in 2005, the IMB report said.
But the situation has deteriorated in Bangladesh as cases of sea attacks more than doubled to 47 last year, the IMB said. Chittagong port, where most of the cases occurred, has been listed as the world's most dangerous port, it said.
Nigeria has 12 pirate attacks, the third highest, it said. Last year, 49 people, mostly foreign oil workers, were kidnapped and three killed, the report said.
Attacks in the busy Malacca Strait, which carries half the world's oil and more than a third of its commerce, have been on the decline since July 2005 with 11 cases last year, it said but warned ships to maintain a strict watch when transiting the waterway.
Fifteen crew were killed by pirates in 2006, compared to none in 2005 and 32 in 2004. Pirates took 188 people hostage in 2006, down from 440 in 2005 but up from 148 in 2004, its said.
More than half of the attacks occurred while vessels were at anchor, with attacks on bulk carriers accounted for about a quarter of the incidents, it said.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/...rticle_id=44938
flipzi - January 23, 2007 05:15 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (saver111 @ Jan 22 2007, 02:03 PM) |
| The situation is complicated by rampant crime and corruption in state and local governments which means much of the money meant for improving living conditions in the creeks is looted. |
That means this conflict will never end unless the corruptiion is rooted out and the threat to the Niger Delta settler's economic survival will be addressed fully.
Sending multinational army alone wont solve the problem. The grievances of the Niger Delta people must be addressed as well.
saver111 - January 23, 2007 02:09 PM (GMT)
Worst than earlier reported,
24 Filipino seamen, not 6, kidnapped in Nigeria
INQUIRER.net, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse
Last updated 07:06pm (Mla time) 01/23/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- (4TH UPDATE) All 24 Filipino crewmen of a German cargo ship attacked in Nigerian waters have been taken hostage there, a Philippine official said Tuesday, clarifying earlier reports that only six sailors were kidnapped.
Nigerian officials previously said only six of the Filipino crew of the Nigerian-flagged cargo ship Baco Liner 2 had been abducted.
But after the announcement by the DFA, officials of Delta State, where the abduction took place, confirmed that all the Filipino crewmen had been seized.
"I cannot say how many people were on board of the ship. But I am sure all the people on board were seized," Ovie Omo-Agege told Agence France-Presse.
Omo-Agege who heads the state government team negotiating the release of the hostages, said: "We are on top of the situation. The men are safe and fine. I can assure you that they will soon be released."
The official who on Saturday gave the figure of six kidnapped sailors, Delta State spokesman Ozoene Sheddy, said Tuesday that "new information had come to light in the last 48 hours" and that more than six people were being held.
Foreign Affairs undersecretary Esteban Conejos told a news conference that the Hamburg-based shipping firm's local manning agents here "handed to me a letter that contains new information."
“On the basis of this information, there is reasonable belief to assume that the entire crew of 24, including the ship, has been held hostage,” he told reporters during a briefing at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“I would like to emphasize the phrase, there is reasonable belief to assume, because up to this time, the ship owners do not have radio and communications contact with the ship...That’s the situation on the ground,” he added.
The ship was heading to the southern Nigerian oil city of Warri when unidentified gunmen on Saturday snatched 17 Filipino sailors, leaving behind the captain and six crew, all Filipinos, Conejos said.
The 17 men were taken to a village near Warri, he said, while the ship remained anchored off Warri under the gunmen's control, he said.
The ship’s cooks, who remained onboard, and are making food that is being taken to the hostages in the village, he said.
The gunmen from the militant Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) have started negotiating for the release of the crewmen although Conejos said he was unaware of any specific demands from the group in the current negotiations.
But reports have said MEND is reportedly seeking the release of two prisoners held by the Nigerian government for treason and a ransom of $12 million to be paid by oil giant Shell company.
The group has launched crippling assaults against the energy industry in Africa's oil giant since last year.
Conejos also said he “has enough reason” to believe that the 24 Filipino seafarers remain safe and sound in the custody of their captors.
Klaus Steffen, manager at Baco-Liner GmbH of Duisburg, Germany, said his company had no contact with the ship's crew and could not confirm that only seven crew members remained on board.
"We have no contact directly with the ship because the entire crew must have been overpowered. I don't know how many people are on board now," he said.
Further details about the ship, its course and cargo were not immediately known.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to Nigeria until the hostage crisis is resolved.
He said the two officers from the Philippine embassy in Abuja are now in Warri coordinating with the local officials there to get updates on the condition of the 24 Filipino seafarers.
“Discussions [between local officials in Warri and the kidnappers] as we speak are ongoing for the safe release of the Filipino seafarers,” he said.
"Both of our governments are dead set to resolve this incident peacefully," he added.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news...rticle_id=45191
Hope this ends peacefully with no Filipino crewmembers hurt.
24 Filipino seamen, not 6, kidnapped in Nigeria
INQUIRER.net, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse
Last updated 07:06pm (Mla time) 01/23/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- (4TH UPDATE) All 24 Filipino crewmen of a German cargo ship attacked in Nigerian waters have been taken hostage there, a Philippine official said Tuesday, clarifying earlier reports that only six sailors were kidnapped.
Nigerian officials previously said only six of the Filipino crew of the Nigerian-flagged cargo ship Baco Liner 2 had been abducted.
But after the announcement by the DFA, officials of Delta State, where the abduction took place, confirmed that all the Filipino crewmen had been seized.
"I cannot say how many people were on board of the ship. But I am sure all the people on board were seized," Ovie Omo-Agege told Agence France-Presse.
Omo-Agege who heads the state government team negotiating the release of the hostages, said: "We are on top of the situation. The men are safe and fine. I can assure you that they will soon be released."
The official who on Saturday gave the figure of six kidnapped sailors, Delta State spokesman Ozoene Sheddy, said Tuesday that "new information had come to light in the last 48 hours" and that more than six people were being held.
Foreign Affairs undersecretary Esteban Conejos told a news conference that the Hamburg-based shipping firm's local manning agents here "handed to me a letter that contains new information."
“On the basis of this information, there is reasonable belief to assume that the entire crew of 24, including the ship, has been held hostage,” he told reporters during a briefing at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“I would like to emphasize the phrase, there is reasonable belief to assume, because up to this time, the ship owners do not have radio and communications contact with the ship...That’s the situation on the ground,” he added.
The ship was heading to the southern Nigerian oil city of Warri when unidentified gunmen on Saturday snatched 17 Filipino sailors, leaving behind the captain and six crew, all Filipinos, Conejos said.
The 17 men were taken to a village near Warri, he said, while the ship remained anchored off Warri under the gunmen's control, he said.
The ship’s cooks, who remained onboard, and are making food that is being taken to the hostages in the village, he said.
The gunmen from the militant Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) have started negotiating for the release of the crewmen although Conejos said he was unaware of any specific demands from the group in the current negotiations.
But reports have said MEND is reportedly seeking the release of two prisoners held by the Nigerian government for treason and a ransom of $12 million to be paid by oil giant Shell company.
The group has launched crippling assaults against the energy industry in Africa's oil giant since last year.
Conejos also said he “has enough reason” to believe that the 24 Filipino seafarers remain safe and sound in the custody of their captors.
Klaus Steffen, manager at Baco-Liner GmbH of Duisburg, Germany, said his company had no contact with the ship's crew and could not confirm that only seven crew members remained on board.
"We have no contact directly with the ship because the entire crew must have been overpowered. I don't know how many people are on board now," he said.
Further details about the ship, its course and cargo were not immediately known.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday suspended the deployment of Filipino workers to Nigeria until the hostage crisis is resolved.
He said the two officers from the Philippine embassy in Abuja are now in Warri coordinating with the local officials there to get updates on the condition of the 24 Filipino seafarers.
“Discussions [between local officials in Warri and the kidnappers] as we speak are ongoing for the safe release of the Filipino seafarers,” he said.
"Both of our governments are dead set to resolve this incident peacefully," he added.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news...rticle_id=45191
Hope this ends peacefully with no Filipino crewmembers hurt.
MSantor - October 31, 2007 01:19 AM (GMT)
Kudos to the crew of the USS James E. Williams for keelhauling those Somali pirates! :salute:
It's interesting that the ship saved was a North Korean freighter, considering the bitter relations between the US and the DPRK/North Korea.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=97598
It's interesting that the ship saved was a North Korean freighter, considering the bitter relations between the US and the DPRK/North Korea.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=97598
| QUOTE |
| US ship helps North Korea vessel crew overpower Somali pirates Agence France-Presse MOGADISHU - The US Navy helped the crew of a North Korean cargo vessel regain control of their freighter in a violent struggle Tuesday after it was captured by pirates off Mogadishu port, it said. At least two attackers died in the clashes and five were captured, while three of the 22-strong crew of the MV Dai Hong Dan crew were seriously injured, the Bahrain-based US Naval Forces Central Command said. The USS James E. Williams responded after the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau passed on a distress signal from the North Korean ship following its seizure by pirates overnight Monday. "Three seriously injured crew members have been transferred to the James E. Williams for treatment," the statement said. "Initial reports from the crew are that five pirates were captured and two are dead. The pirates remain aboard the Dai Hong Dan." The North Korean ship was headed to the Somali port of Aden with casualties on board, said Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenya chapter of the Seafarers' Assistance Program. Earlier Ali Gabow Jillo, the Mogadishu trader who had contracted the vessel, told AFP that the US Navy had helped it regain control. Mogadishu port security officials said the pirates who seized the North Korean boat were members of a Somali clan who were meant to be guarding it. "The crew members have taken control of the ship after defeating the eight men who hijacked it last night," said Dahir Hassan, an elder in the Somali port of Haradere. "There are casualties, but we are not sure of the exact number of dead or injured," he added. "Now the ship is out there and some government forces and businessmen from Mogadishu have been dispatched to the area." Mwangura confirmed the release of the freighter, which was contracted by Mogadishu traders to deliver general cargo. "We have information that ship has been rescued," Mwangura, who monitors maritime transport, told AFP from the port town of Mombasa. "We are waiting for the ship to return to port ... so that we can get more information," he added, explaining that initial reports indicated the "crew members were from southern Asia nations." African Union peacekeepers charged with protecting the port said the vessel was outside their operation area. "It was far away from the seaport, it was at the anchorage. The hijacking was masterminded by the same people who were supposed to bring it into the docking," captain Paddy Ankunda told AFP. Ankunda said the militiamen had asked for 15,000 dollars (10,000 euros) to free the freighter, which arrived in Mogadishu 10 days before and had already unloaded its cargo. The incident was the second piracy attack off Somalia's 3,700 kilometer (2,300 miles) coastline in recent days. On Sunday, a Japanese chemical tanker with 23 Korean, Filipino and Myanmar crew on board was hijacked off the coast of northern Somalia. "Four other vessels remain under pirate control off the coast of southern Somalia," said the statement from the US Navy, part of the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CTF 150), based in Djibouti to fight terrorism in the volatile region. The CTF-150 also operate under international maritime conventions to secure international waters for commercial shipping and fishing. Rampant piracy off Somalia's vast coastline stopped in the second half of 2006 during six months of strict rule by an Islamist movement, ousted by Ethiopian and Somali government troops at the end of the year. The French navy is due mid-November to deploy a vessel to protect UN World Food Program-charted ships, which have been targeted while ferrying supplies to Somalia in recent months. Somalia lies at the mouth of the Red Sea and has lacked a functional government since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre sparked a bloody power struggle. |
saver111 - October 31, 2007 07:48 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| 071028-N-0000X-185 INDIAN OCEAN (Oct. 28, 2007) - A pirate skiff burns after being hit by several rounds from a 25mm gun aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78). The skiff belonged to a group of pirates that boarded Panamanian-flagged cargo ship MV Golden Nori. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED) |
See related thread
USN Warship frees Nokor crew from Somali Pirates
and unlike their North Korean counterparts
SKorean vessels soon to be freed in Somalia, says union
Agence France-Presse
SEOUL - The release of two South Korean-owned fishing vessels captured by pirates off Somalia 170 days ago with 24 crew members aboard appears to be imminent, a seamen's leader said Wednesday.
Park Hee-Sung, head of the Federation of Korean Seafarers' Unions, said negotiations were underway in Dubai to win the release of the Mavuno I and Mavuno II and their crew.
"When the ransom is paid, everything will be fine," Park quoted the ships' owner An Hyeon-Su as saying by phone from Dubai. "The captors are loading fuel and food on the ships."
Park said his federation had raised some 300,000 dollars and Christian groups separately donated hundreds of thousand of dollars to help meet the pirates' October 6 demand for some 1.1 million dollars in ransom.
"Most of the ransom has been raised but it has not yet been handed over," Park told AFP.
The Tanzania-registered ships, Mavuno I and Mavuno II, were seized five months ago off the coast of Somalia by a group of armed pirates while en route to Yemen from Mombasa in Kenya.
On board the ships were 24 crew members -- four South Koreans, 10 Chinese, four Indonesians, three Vietnamese and three Indians.
Earlier in October the captain of one of the ships, Han Seok-Ho, appealed for government help. Han said the pirates were beating the crews and giving them rice mixed with sand to eat, and that some crew members were suffering from malaria.
South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon said Wednesday the government was "doing the best it can" to secure their release but ruled out the possibility of it taking part in raising ransom.
Song said any ransom payment could encourage the kidnapping of other Korean travelers.
Piracy is common in the waters off Somalia, which has been without an effective government since the 1991 ousting of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre set off a bloody power struggle.
A Japanese chemical tanker with 23 crew on board including two South Koreans and nine Filipinos was hijacked Sunday.
Overnight Monday a North Korean ship was seized off Mogadishu but the crew eventually fought off the attackers with US Navy help.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=97637
MSantor - November 3, 2007 03:10 AM (GMT)
The USS Porter is shadowing the Japanese tanker Golden Nori, which has been taken over by Somali pirates.
YAAR! More action on the high seas! Hopefully the USN will end this latest act of piracy soon enough by retaking the vessel and rescuing its crew.
But on a more serious note, this is just the latest in the drama this week involving Somali pirates, since another group of them seized a North Korean vessel early this week, but were stopped by the USS James E. Williams.
Here's the link to the Porter-Golden Nori chase:
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,1331...7,00.html?wh=wh
YAAR! More action on the high seas! Hopefully the USN will end this latest act of piracy soon enough by retaking the vessel and rescuing its crew.
But on a more serious note, this is just the latest in the drama this week involving Somali pirates, since another group of them seized a North Korean vessel early this week, but were stopped by the USS James E. Williams.
Here's the link to the Porter-Golden Nori chase:
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,1331...7,00.html?wh=wh
| QUOTE |
Navy Tracking Pirated Japanese Tanker Associated Press | November 02, 2007 NAIROBI, Kenya - The U.S. Navy on Friday kept its eye on a Japanese tanker taken over by pirates off Somalia's coast, while a top U.S. official said piracy remains a "very serious security problem" in the region. Earlier this week, a North Korean tanker overrun by pirates was taken back after crew members overpowered the hijackers in a bloody fight. The hijackers were being held aboard the ship until they can be handed over for prosecution at a port. The U.S. Navy's also came to the aid of the Japanese chemical tanker this week, with the guided missile destroyer USS Porter at one point opening fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to it. On Thursday, the U.S. Navy said that it intended to remove the pirates from the Japanese tanker. The pirates have demanded a Navy ship close to the hijacked vessel move away, said Tess Villanueva, wife of the crew's foreman, Laureano Villanueva. It was unclear whether the Porter, which is part of the coalition force in the area, is the ship closest to the Golden Nori. "Apparently the Navy ship was getting closer to them," she told The Associated Press in the Philippines. "The good news would be if they (the pirates) leave the ship." She said the information was relayed to her late Thursday by Redentor Anaya, vice president for operations of SeaCrest Maritime Management Inc., which recruited the Filipino crew for the Golden Nori. Cmdr. Lydia Robertson, of the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain confirmed Friday that the Navy continues to monitor the Japanese ship. She couldn't say if the Navy was in direct radio contact with the pirates but said: "They have ability to contact us. All the ships have bridge-to-bridge radios." After the clash on the North Korean boat, Navy personnel boarded the vessel to treat the wounded. The U.S. efforts came despite its hostile relations with the communist country over its nuclear program. "You'll always find our Navy prepared to help any ship in distress and certainly any ship that is confronting pirates," said Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the top American envoy to six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament. "This is a very serious security problem on the African coast. These are not pirates who will remind you of Johnny Depp. These are quite different kinds of pirates," Hill told reporters in Seoul, South Korea. "So, I think we were pleased to be able to help in this regard and I hope the (North) understands that we did this out of the sense of goodwill that we have on this," he said. Robertson agreed. "Piracy is an ongoing and growing issue off the coast of Somalia," she said. "The pirates haven't shown they're slowing down operations, and we'll continue to monitor those vessels. ... We're trying to work to get the pirates off the vessels." Negotiations have started for the release of the Japanese tanker, anchored in Somali waters with 23 crew members from the Philippines, South Korea and Myanmar, said Josefina Villanueva. She said there had been no ransom demand from the pirates. "The talks are just starting. I think the pirates will later on demand something," she said. On Friday, Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said the captain of the ship contacted the Japanese company that owns the vessel the day before and reported the crew was fine. There has been no direct contact between the Philippine government and the pirates, he added. "The problem is there is no central government in control (in Somalia)," Conejos said. The Golden Nori was carrying a load of benzene when the USS Porter fired on two pirate boats tied to the tanker Sunday, sinking both. Benzene, an industrial solvent, is both highly flammable and can be fatal if too much is inhaled. The U.S. military said it was aware of what was onboard when it fired at the skiffs. Somali pirates are trained fighters, in some cases linked to powerful Somali clans, outfitted with sophisticated arms and equipment, including GPS satellite instruments. They have seized merchant ships, aid vessels, and once even a cruise ship. The United States also has supported efforts to quell an Islamic insurgency in Somalia. Somalia has been without a functioning government since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, then turned on each other. The current government was formed in 2004, but has struggled to assert any real control. |
saver111 - December 4, 2007 02:05 PM (GMT)
Pirates attack Exxon vessel in Nigeria, one killed
Tue Dec 4, 5:22 AM ET
ABUJA (Reuters) - Pirates attacked a vessel operated by oil major ExxonMobil in the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria on Tuesday, killing a crew member and injuring another, private security contractors working in the oil industry said.
Attacks by politically motivated rebels in the delta, who last year shut down a fifth of Nigerian oil production, have subsided since a new president took office in May but armed robbers and pirates still stage sporadic raids in the creeks.
Details of Tuesday's incident were sketchy, as is often the case with Niger Delta attacks, but three security contractors said about seven or eight gunmen in a speedboat boarded the Seamark vessel on the Bonny river, in Rivers state.
"One crew member was shot dead. They also shot the captain's cabin door and demanded money and in that process they shot and wounded another crew member," said one of the contractors.
"They ransacked the vessel taking away a laptop and some radios. The vessel then continued on its way and is now secure at Onne," he said.
The victims were Nigerians, the sources said.
President Umaru Yar'Adua's envoys have tried to negotiate a ceasefire with rebel groups demanding local control over oil revenues for the impoverished communities of the Niger Delta. While talks have been going on, their attacks on oil facilities and kidnappings of oil workers have subsided.
But the line between militancy and crime is blurred in the delta, which remains prone to violent attacks such as armed robberies or kidnappings for ransom.
Nigeria, an OPEC member, is the world's eighth-biggest exporter of crude oil and disruptions to supply due to violence in the Niger Delta are one of the causes of oil's climb towards $100 a barrel.
(Editing by Keith Weir)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071204/wl_nm/nigeria_attack_dc
There you are guys, one of the causes for oil price increase. And getting the appreciation of the peso to a USD will somewhat soften the impact.
Tue Dec 4, 5:22 AM ET
ABUJA (Reuters) - Pirates attacked a vessel operated by oil major ExxonMobil in the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria on Tuesday, killing a crew member and injuring another, private security contractors working in the oil industry said.
Attacks by politically motivated rebels in the delta, who last year shut down a fifth of Nigerian oil production, have subsided since a new president took office in May but armed robbers and pirates still stage sporadic raids in the creeks.
Details of Tuesday's incident were sketchy, as is often the case with Niger Delta attacks, but three security contractors said about seven or eight gunmen in a speedboat boarded the Seamark vessel on the Bonny river, in Rivers state.
"One crew member was shot dead. They also shot the captain's cabin door and demanded money and in that process they shot and wounded another crew member," said one of the contractors.
"They ransacked the vessel taking away a laptop and some radios. The vessel then continued on its way and is now secure at Onne," he said.
The victims were Nigerians, the sources said.
President Umaru Yar'Adua's envoys have tried to negotiate a ceasefire with rebel groups demanding local control over oil revenues for the impoverished communities of the Niger Delta. While talks have been going on, their attacks on oil facilities and kidnappings of oil workers have subsided.
But the line between militancy and crime is blurred in the delta, which remains prone to violent attacks such as armed robberies or kidnappings for ransom.
Nigeria, an OPEC member, is the world's eighth-biggest exporter of crude oil and disruptions to supply due to violence in the Niger Delta are one of the causes of oil's climb towards $100 a barrel.
(Editing by Keith Weir)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071204/wl_nm/nigeria_attack_dc
There you are guys, one of the causes for oil price increase. And getting the appreciation of the peso to a USD will somewhat soften the impact.
MSantor - February 13, 2008 07:33 AM (GMT)
Yet another update: USN warships fire on Somali pirate vessels.
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,1331...00.html?wh=news
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,1331...00.html?wh=news
| QUOTE |
US Warships Fire on Somali Pirates Associated Press | February 12, 2008 MOGADISHU, Somalia - U.S. warships fired on Somali pirates trying to resupply colleagues who hijacked a Danish-owned tug boat, a district commissioner said Monday. "Some of the artillery shells hit around the coastline but no human casualties were reported. Unfortunately the gangs escaped," Abdullahi Said, the district commissioner for Eyl, told the AP by phone. The hijacked ship, which has six crew members onboard, is stationed around 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Eyl, he said. The coastal town is some 900 kilometers (560 miles) north of the capital, Mogadishu. All crew members on the Svitzer Korsakov - a British captain, an Irish engineer and four Russian crew - were believed to be unharmed. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, which oversees operations off the pirate-infested Somali coast, said she had not heard about the incident. But Denise Garcia said the U.S. Navy had been monitoring the ship since Feb. 4, three days after it was hijacked off the coast of Puntland, a semiautonomous region of northeast Somalia. She said U.S. warships had communicated with the pirates by radio and "encouraged them to leave the ship and let it go." The U.S. Navy has led international patrols to try to combat piracy in the region. In one incident last year, the guided missile destroyer USS Porter opened fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to a Japanese tanker. Piracy is increasingly common along Somalia's 3,000-kilometer (1,880-mile) coast, which is the longest in Africa and near key shipping routes connecting the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. Pirates seized more than two dozen ships off the Somali coast last year. The International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy, said in its annual report earlier this year that global pirate attacks rose by 10 percent in 2007, marking the first increase in three years as sea robbers made a strong comeback. Wracked by more than a decade of violence and anarchy, Somalia does not have its own navy and the transitional government formed in 2004 with U.N. help has struggled to assert control. |
saver111 - March 21, 2008 04:07 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| Pirates attacking off the coast of Somalia are now using satellite phones and GPS devices to track their prey. The technology is making it easier to find and overpower large container and cargo ships. |
MSantor - March 21, 2008 03:55 PM (GMT)
http://pdff.sytes.net/index.php?showtopic=4853
Perhaps this other thread from the world military current events and news section can be merged with this thread, also about Somali pirates.
Perhaps this other thread from the world military current events and news section can be merged with this thread, also about Somali pirates.